The Woman in the Woods
by laurastalkingsurf
Summary: When Zuko discovers a seemingly mild woman living in the woods, he allows her to join him and his uncle on their way to Ba Sing Se. Her complicated past, passion for good, and just a smidge of bad luck along the way will change them both forever. But even if he falls in love with her, will she stay with him? Mature content. Complete.
1. A Very Pretty Young Lady

"Oh…where did I put those antibiotics…?" Katil rummaged through a rickety cabinet of small clay pots with her thin, tanned hands. Standing up on her toes she reached around to the back and pulled out a small green pot. Its top was slightly ajar and its rim was crusted from use.

"I must thank you again for offering your services,"

Katil turned around. "No, really, you don't need to thank me. It's my job." She laughed. The young woman walked over to the old man, "Now where is this wound?"

"Oh, I am not hurt." He chuckled heartily, "It's my nephew. He is probably still out in the woods—he is very shy." He added in a cheeky whisper. Katil cracked an awkwardly suspicious half smile, but went along with the old man.

"Alright…would you mind leading the way?" She asked. He nodded. She took a minute to grab her kit and followed him outside. The weather was gorgeous that day. Katil's raven hair, pulled into a large bun at the base of her neck, shone brightly in the sunlight, her dark eyes reflected the thick woods around her, and her modest, pale green dress fluttered in the mountain breeze. A few patches were coming loose, she suddenly noticed, as she followed this old stranger to who knew where. He was a portly old man with snow white hair and a pointed but relatively small beard. His eyes were golden and stately, with heavy lids a deep lines. If Katil hadn't already begun to think him a little bit senile, she might've assumed him to be incredibly wise. At the same time, he seemed familiar some how.

"He's just around this corner…" The old man assured her. She giggled under her breath, watching him for any sign of a limp or a stumble, but he seemed just fine. Still, it was nice to get out of the clinic.

However, when they turned the corner, she found a young man, maybe only a few years younger than she, clutching a torn calf. His eyes were bright gold, just like his uncle's, but unlike his uncle his body was trim and muscular, his short hair nearly black in color. But his face was what struck her. His cheeks were razor sharp and his lips thin and serious. He had a commanding yet immature air about him that took her by surprise. "Uncle I told you I could take care of this—I don't need any help!" He brazenly asserted. His uncle handed him calm and quiet excuses while the boy continued to fire back angry insults and curses. Katil didn't hear any of it. The boy had turned to face his uncle, and when he did, the crippling, deep, red scar marring the left side of his face came into veiw. She froze where she stood, and it was all she could do not to drop everything she was holding and fall to her knees.

She coughed quietly, "Um...so." She regained her composure, "What happened to your leg?"

"Well, we had been traveling for some time when he fell off of our ostrich horse-"

"Stupid thing bucked me off." he corrected, shooting his uncle a dirty sideways glance.

"Here…" Katil knelt down to address the prince's wound. His conversation with General Iroh came to an abrupt stop as he mildly attempted to keep Katil from doing her work. "It will only hurt a little…I'll have you patched up nice and quick…It'll only take a second…hold still—" she dabbed the antibiotics on the open wound. Prince Zuko grimaced, nails digging into his knee. Katil glanced around and picked up a thick stick. Handing it to him, she asked him to bite down on it until she was finished. He hesitated, watching her closely, but General Iroh placed a heavy hand on his shoulder, and he unwillingly clamped down. Still, he never took his eyes off of Katil as she and her nimble fingers got back to work. She painstakingly disinfected the slightly irritated wound, then opened her kit and withdrew a needle and thread. She could barely keep her hands from trembling as she pierced the crowned prince's skin with her needle and slowly began stitching him together. He groaned and ground on the stick with his molars as she worked. Every scrape against the dry wood sent shivers down Katil's spine.

It was over an hour later when she finally finished wrapping the leg in clean linens. Prince Zuko spat out the stick and tried to stand, but quickly crumpled to ground in a disgruntled heap. Katil wrapped his bad arm around her shoulders and hoisted him onto his feet.

"You won't be able to put any weight on it for a day or so-and even then you won't be getting anywhere fast."

"We have an ostrich horse. We need to keep moving-"

"No, nephew, I think the young lady is correct." General Iroh mused, "You need time to rest. If your wound becomes infected, there will be nothing I can do!"

"It's not like you're in any kind of a rush," Katil chuckled, "Not like you're chasing anyone, are you?"

"No!" Zuko insisted, nearly yelling. Katil blinked.

"I live alone in the clinic," she began after a few paces of silence, "you can take my room for the night."

"That is very kind of you, miss...?" General Iroh probed.

"Katil,"

"A very pretty name, for a very pretty young lady!" She blushed. General Iroh peered at her for a moment, but stayed quiet.

They arrived at the clinic a few minutes later. It was a crude little shack, in all honesty, dressed up with a poorly constructed porch and an old rotting sign reading "Doctor". The cramped front room contained a bench for patients, two cabinets for various medicines, serums, and creams, and a stubby counter that housed a host of trinkets: a dirty mortar and pestle, a rusty stove, a cast iron pot, various empty and crusted clay jars, discarded and unused herbs and berries, etc. The back room where Katil slept was hardly a room at all. It barely fit the thin mat she called a bed, the wooden plank walls let in a deadly draft, and the air inside was humid and thick. "Home sweet home," Katil shrugged, helping Zuko onto the bench. She restarted the stove fire with a couple of spark rocks, "Dinner will be on in an hour," General Iroh asked if there was any way he could help, and Katil, though a little hesitant, put him to work chopping vegetables and making the tea. Prince Zuko remained silent, arms folded, eyes on the ground.

Dinner was comprised of stewed lizard quail and roasted vegetables with a hearty bowl of steamed rice. Despite her humble living situation, she seemed to eat fairly well.

"So, miss Katil," Iroh began through heavy handed mouthfuls, "How does someone like you come to live in such a place?"

She smiled, swallowing her food, "It's a long story," she answered truthfully. Iroh prodded no more. "So," she turned on Zuko. He didn't look up. "Would you like seconds?" she asked, noticing his empty bowl.

"No." He answered firmly. "I'd like to go to bed now,"

"Oh here, let me—"

"No, no, I've got it!" Iroh assured her, hoisting his nephew up from the table. She slowly sat back down. Iroh whispered something in Zuko's ear. He shot a deadly look back at Katil, who had already returned to quietly eating her meal in peace—

There was a thundering sound coming from outside. Iroh and Zuko stopped to listen—Katil sprang up from her spot and ran outside. An ominous, orange glow loomed over the tree tops. "Oh no…"

"What is it?" Iroh asked. The smell of soot filled her nostrils, and then came the screams.

"Put Zuko in the bed." She whispered under her breath, eyes fixed on the glow.

"Excuse me—?"

"I SAID PUT PRINCE ZUKO IN THE BED!" She shouted. The two men were wide eyed as Katil ran to the small counter and ripped off the lock on the cabinets underneath. Inside was a plethora of Fire Nation weapons and armors. She ripped out a pair of gauntlets, chest and shin plates and, reaching deep inside, pulled out a short, black sheath with two ornate hilts poised at each end. She slipped the sheath around her shoulders. She looked back at Iroh, "Stay here and watch the clinic. If any one approaches, grab what medicine you can, and get out of here."

"What's going on?" Zuko demanded, "How do you know who we are?" She gave no answer. Before Zuko could make any other kind of protest, she was sprinting out the door, untying their ostrich horse and riding off towards the climbing cloud of acrid black smoke. "Uncle…do you think she'll turn us in?"

Iroh closed his eyes and grunted, shaking his head, "No, I don't believe so,"

"How do you know?" He asked, worry laced through his voice,

"That girl has been evading the Fire Nation army for over six years. It would mean certain capture if she attempted to have us arrested." Zuko stared at his uncle with wide eyes, but Iroh was focused on the village burning over a mile away. "Her real name is Kazue. About six years ago, conscription officers arrived in her village demanding that all able bodied firebenders be given to the army for training. She was only twelve. Some how, she escaped, and began tormenting Fire Nation camps along Earth Kingdom coasts. She has slaughtered many good men." He added gravely, "About two years ago stories of attacks began to slow to a complete stop. It seemed she had be killed. But here she is, risking capture to save an Earth Kingdom village that reviles her,"

"How do you know that?" Zuko asked.

"Why do you think she lives all of the way out here? I imagine that she came to this village and told them out right who she was, and in return for her honesty and humility, they sent her to leave in exile." Zuko turned his eyes towards the village, his brows furrowed in thought.

Katil leapt off of the moving ostrich horse and landed in a sprint. Nearly all of the small thatch roofed houses were ablaze and the people were scrambling every which way, screaming and latching onto each other for safety. Rhinos stormed the roads. It was a small band of specialized Fire Nation soldiers. Katil scowled, diving into the fray. One by one she leapt onto the rhinos behind their riders, snapping necks and directing the animals out of the village. Four soldiers down, she leapt from the last fleeing rhino and climbed onto the roof of one of the tallest buildings. Her eyes found their leader, a tall, hulking man with thick brown facial hair, wielding a large Fire Nation flag. He planted the flag deep in the center of the town square, his bulging arms rippling with the immense force.

"I CLAIM THIS VILLAGE IN THE NAME OF THE FIRE LORD!" He yelled, his beady eyes glowing in the light of the fire. Katil reached back and slowly drew her short, twin swords. Their deadly sharp edges glinted as she rose onto her delicate toes. In a sudden flash she leapt from the roof, blades pointed at the man's heart—

"HAH!" He yelled, his leg springing up in a flaming arch. Katil spun out, dispersing the flames with her blades, and hitting the ground in a hard roll. She leapt on her feet, knees bent, swords poised. "So you are the one who's been killing my men." He growled, drawing his hands in a wide circle, a dense ball of fire gaining power in his hold.

"And you're the one who's been destroying my village," She snapped. He grinned.

"Yes, I am," a wall of flame charged from his fists with a loud roar. Katil dodged to the right, jumping behind a broken market cart. "COWARD!" He yelled. The cart exploded in flames just as Katil leapt out of the way. She dodged, he fired, she dodged, he fired—suddenly the main square was a wasteland of flames, but Katil was nowhere in sight. "WHERE DID YOU GO?" He called, "FIGHT ME—!"

Katil appeared behind him, blades crossed at his throbbing jugular. "I would rather end this quickly," she whispered in his ear. He froze and slowly raised his hands in the air.

"P-please…" he begged, "I'll leave right now—I'll never come back—JUST LET ME LIVE—!"

Katil sliced his throat open with one decisive moment, and his hulking body fell prone and lifeless on the ground, a deep red halo circling his pale, scarred face. Katil stared at his body for a moment. Digging her toe under his chest she rolled him over and saw a piece of paper sticking out from his belt. Again using her foot, she pulled it from his belt and unrolled it on the ground. Katil found her self looking at a younger, grinning, blodsoaked version of herself. She grit her teeth angrily and with a furious, adrenaline fueled grunt she stomped the poster into the ground with her heel, fire engulfing and obliterrating it. Taking a breath, she turned her attention to the village. The people had finally stopped running. Now they just stared at her, their horrified expressions quickly dissolving into anger.

"I knew letting a fire bender live near us was a bad idea!"

"She brought them here!"

"She's working for the Fire Lord!"

They were all yelling and moving in closer towards her…Katil inhaled deeply, raising her arms towards the village. They froze.

"She's going to kill us all!" Someone shrieked. Katil ignored them, slowly exhaling as she lowered her hands. With her motion, the fires destroying the village vanished.

"The fire…it's out!" Someone exclaimed. They all looked back to where Katil had been standing, but she was gone.

Iroh and Zuko were sitting on the small porch of the clinic when Katil returned, ostrich horse in hand. They watched her tie him off, then walk into the clinic, silent as a ghost. She threw off her weapons and armor, stuffing them carelessly into a small bag.

"Where are you going, miss Katil?" Iroh inquired.

"The villagers will be here within the hour to burn the clinic." She stated solemnly, tossing an extra set of clothes into the bag, "I thought I'd might as well leave before they run me out," she added with a sad chuckle.

"But you saved them." Zuko protested quietly from the doorway, "Shouldn't they be grateful?"

She shrugged, "Save them or not, I'm a fire bender. This day always comes." She stuffed a couple of clay pots into the bag, then threw it over her shoulder, grabbing a dirty canteen from the counter before heading out of the door.

"Where will you go?" Iroh asked.

"Don't know," Katil whispered. In the dim light, Zuko could see tears falling down her soft, blood flecked face. He looked away.

"We are heading towards Ba Sing Se—why don't you join us?"

"Uncle—"

"No, I'd only slow you down." She started slowly walking towards the forest.

"Nonsense! Don't you agree, Prince Zuko?"

Katil turned around. Her wet, shining eyes met his, the bright, harsh gold slowly clouding with sympathy…

"Fine," he muttered, "But only until Ba Sing Se,"

The faint sounds of shouting trickled through the forest. "It's the villagers." She wiped her eyes dry, "They're coming," Katil warned. She and Iroh lifted Zuko onto his feet and onto the ostrich horse, and they took off together into the night, Katil's devilish grin lighting the way.


	2. A Break in the Trees

Carefully, very carefully, Katil cooked the newly skinned pigeon rats in her palms, slowly heating them all of the way through before charring the outside with one burst of hot flame. She set the bird down on the flat tree stump with the other two and was just about to start boiling the daffodils she'd foraged when out of the corner of her eye she saw Zuko and Iroh trudging back to camp.

"What'd you get?"

Zuko angrily grunted, fire spurting from his nostrils as he threw his hat onto the ground and stomped off a few yards.

"Not so good?" She asked Iroh. He presented her with a handful of coins, "This isn't bad—you even got a gold piece!" She exclaimed. Zuko yelled again, kicking a tree trunk and stubbing his toe.

"DAMN IT!" He cursed, grabbing his food. Katil and Iroh gave a collective sigh. "This is stupid. I'm the heir to the Fire Nation throne—they should be waiting on me hand and foot!"

"Zuko…that is not your life at the moment. You need to learn to adapt." Iroh cautioned, sitting down at the meal Katil had just prepared, "Now come and eat some of this delicious food—kergh bleh!" He choked a little after tearing off a chunk.

"A little over cooked?"

"Just a little," They laughed, Iroh clutching his belly. But Zuko apparently wasn't in the mood for jokes.

"I'm going for a walk." He snapped, stalking off into the forest. Katil watched him go, but shrugged him off and turned her attention back to the daffodils—

"Erhm—let me," Iroh offered, rescuing them from her overzealous techniques, "If you would, maybe you can talk to him. I think you two have much in common." Katil smiled warmly at him, but shook her head, tucking a thick strand of black hair behind her ear,

"I don't know…I don't think he likes me very much,"

"I think you might be mistaken," Iroh winked at her. She blushed,

"Alright," she stood up, brushing herself off, "Try not to eat everything before we get back—see if you can scrounge up some herbs for tea!"

Iroh ripped another chunk of pigeon rat and tossed it into his mouth, "Of cours—cuh hack!"

Katil straightened out her dress and brushed off her bottom as she manuevered her way through the undergrowth. It had only been a week since she started traveling with the exiled prince and his dishonored uncle, and while she missed her little village, she was actually starting to enjoy herself. Zuko's near constant outbursts kept her entertained most of the time, and Iroh's geneality was comforting-it had been a while since any one had treated her so well. Figured it would be a fire bender, but hopefully, if all went according to plan, she could...expand her horizons. Her curving lips held a soft smile as she walked. The forest had gotten fairly thick, but there was a break in the trees up ahead. The faint popping sound of sticato fire bending floated into her ears.

Zuko was standing in the middle of a field, angrily throwing fiery punches and kicks until he had finally tired himself out and fell down in the grass. Katil watched him briefly as he folded his toned arms under his head. Katil couldn't remember the last time she had really known anyone her age, so even though Zuko was hot headed and tempermental and arrogant and immature, she was intrigued by him. She was intrigued by his short, dark hair and his bright golden eyes and the way he ground his teeth in disgust. She was intrigued by their short conversations, their long silences, the way his steely abs felt in her palms when she rode in back on the ostrich horse. From her tree, she watched his chest heave up and down, and she could imagine his heart beating in his chest, she imagined laying her head on his chest and feeling his heart beat in her ear.

She slowly stepped out from behind the tree and tried to sort of sneak up on him, but as soon as she came within twenty feet his head snapped towards her, "What do you want?" he sneered, turning away to stare up into the pink-orange sky. A breeze blew by. Katil slowly sat down next to him,

"It's a nice afternoon,"

Zuko didnt reply. She took a deep breath and laid back on her fore arms.

"So, what's your story?" She asked him frankly.

He cocked his eyebrow, still not looking at her.

"You know-tell me about yourself," she prodded.

Again, nothing.

Sighing, Katil surrendered, "Alright, fine then. " She laid out next to him, eight inches of earth, grass, and air separating their faces, "How about this-I tell you about me, and then you tell me about you? Deal?"

"..."

"I'll take that as a tacit agreement."

Zuko shot her a menacing glance, but she was too busy starting her story to notice, "Well, I was born in a fair sized village on the main land. My parents were pretty well off-but that's inconsequetial. Oh and I had an older brother. His name was Nobuo. He went to war when I was seven and...he died five months later. He was only fifteen."

Zuko looked away from her, "...my father's leading general liked to use new recruits as distractions," he seethed under his breath. Katilms dark eyes watched him intently. "I..."

"Hm?" she coaxed.

He took a deep breath, "Three years ago, my Uncle took me to a war meeting. The general announced his plan to sacrifice new recruits in order to take an Earth Kingdom stronghold, and...I spoke out of turn," he closed his eyes tight for a moment, then exhaled.

Katil frowned, "Do you regret it?"

He didn't answer.

They returned to camp together well after sunset. Iroh was sitting inside their little cave, sipping tea and reading a damp pamphlet by palm-light. He looked up as they approached, "How was your walk?"

"Fine," Zuko replied, his tone ragged, his eyes exhausted. he walked straight to the back of the cave and laid down to sleep. Iroh looked at Katil for any kind of clue, but she just shrugged with a half smile, and helped herself to a plate of daffodils and tea. an hour later she, too went to the back of the cave and closed her heavy eyes.

A twig cracked. It was early in the morning-the sun still hadn't risen-but Katil's eyes were wide open. She sat straight up, muscles tense. Iroh was snoring a few feet away from her and Zuko was still curled up in the back of the cave. Still not totally convinced, she got up and looked around. Nothing was broken or missing, but after a quick walk around outside turned up nothing suspicious, she sighed and gave up the hunt, "Guess I just imagined it..." she whispered, heading back towards the cave. As she went back to her sleeping spot, she could've sword she saw a glint of gold, but she thought nothing of it.

The next few days followed a similar pattern: Zuko and Iroh would go to town, beg, buy a few provisions and head back to camp while Katil foraged for whatever she could easily catch or find. Iroh thankfully took over the cooking, and in the meantime, Katil and Zuko took walks together through the forest. Every day she would tell him a story about herself, and after some light coaxing, he would return the favor,

"There was one time," he began one afternoon, "when we were at sea, uncle wanted to have a music night and he made me play the songhi horn. I play the songhi horn," he added.

"I gathered," she giggled, lifting the hem of her dress to step over a root. They were nearly at their field and the sun was threatening to set.

Zuko gave an awkward half chuckle and set his eyes on some important looking branch-"Wait, no-I mean, I CAN play the songhi horn-I'm not very good at it-"

"Okay, okay!" Katil laughed, grabbing his hand and giving it a little squeeze, "I get it!" Zuko looked like a ghost had just bit him in the ass. Katil dropped his hand casually and picked up a little speed, "So then what happened?" she asked, still grinning.

"Oh, well, that was it."

"That was it?" Katil exclaimed with a laugh,

"Uh...yeah?"

"That story was horrible!"

"What? No it wasn't!" He insisted. Katil swung in front of him just as they stepped into the field and grabbed his hands.

"Yes. It was." She told him, swinging his arms for emphasis. Even in the darkness her eyes shown and her rosy tan skin glowed. Zuko's face flushed as she let him go and started walking again. She stopped in the middle of the grass and reached up, pulling the pins out of her hair. A thick, wavy mane fell from the bun to her mid back, strands twisting and flowing in the light breeze. There was even a faint scent that graced Zuko's nose as he approached the older woman. "Having it up for so long makes my head hurt sometimes," she explained, lying down in the grass.

"It...looks nice," He plopped down in the grass next to her, burying his chin in his knees.

Katil just laughed. "Thanks,"

They sat there like that for a few minutes, just enjoying the night breeze and the bright stars. A comet shot across the sky, and Katil closed her eyes to make a wish.

"Can I ask you something?" She asked in almost a half whisper.

Zuko looked down at her, and theirs eyes locked for a brief moment. "Uh...sure, I guess,"

"Have you ever been in love?"

Zuko furrowed his brow. "You mean: do I have a girlfriend?"

"No," Katil insisted, "Have you ever been in love?"

He thought about it for a second. "I...I don't know," he answered truthfully.

Katil blinked, and then shook her head with a small smile, "What's her name?" She asked casually.

"...Mai. We weren't really together...we just kissed once."

"Ah,"

Zuko opened his mouth, then closed it, and tucked his chin back into his knees with a small frown. Another breeze rolled by and Katil shivered, rubbing her arms. She sat up and laid her head on Zuko's shoulder, wrapping her hands around his bicep.

"Uh-"

"Sorry—cold," She shrugged, scooting in even closer. Zuko watched her eyelids flutter shut, her pink lips parting as she breathed in and out. He had never had a girl this close to him before. It felt nice.

"Katil..." he whispered. She nodded, "...have you ever been in love?"

She slowly opened her eyes and pursed her lips, "...no," she answered honestly, "but I know it'll happen...soon." she added confidently, looking up at him, their noses nearly touching. Zuko could feel her breath on his lips, but as soon as he was going to open his mouth to speak she jumped up onto her feet. "We should get going," she told him with a smile. She stuck out her hand for him to take, but he decisively ignored it and got up on his own. She playfully rolled her eyes and grabbed it anyways, "SPIRITS I'd kill for a bean puff right now-doesn't that sound good?" Zuko awkwardly shrugged. "That was a good story, by the way," she whispered, squeezing his hand. He blushed.

That night, Katil woke up in the middle of the night. Zuko's bed roll was empty. She rubbed her dry eyes and got up to poke her head outside of the cave. "Not here..." she whispered. She walked back into the cave and grabbed her shoes and swords-just in case. She ran over to the field, but he wasn't there either. From there she ran to the town's southern entrance. The city streets were bleak and empty, lined with cookie cutter buildings and houses, all closed and dark. After about an hour of mindlessly searching, Katil decided that she might as well just go back to sleep-Zuko would be back by morning. She yawned, stretching high into the air, "Yeah, sleep for sure," she mumbled, wiping small sleepy tears out of her ey-

Katil whipped around, her short swords clanging with the sharp, glinting edges of two broad sword blades. There, mere inches from her face, was a man wearing dark clothing in a devilish blue mask, eyes obscured in the darkness. Suddenly, the masked man backed off, slowly stepping away before diving into a dead sprint back down the road. When her brain finally processed what had just happened, she took off after him.

"HEY, COME BACK HERE!" she yelled.

Two wooden shutters slapped open, "SHUT UP!"

"C'MON!"

"SOME OF US ARE TRYING TO SLEEP!"

Katil threw her hands up in the air and walked off back the way she came with a scowl, "What was that...?" She asked herself. When she got back to camp, Zuko was fast asleep in his bed roll. Too tired to feel sorry for herself, Katil tossed her swords to the side and crawled into bed.

The next morning, the cave was filled with baked goods.

"Where did all this come from?" Iroh asked. Katil sat up with a big yawn,

"Smells good," she noted. Zuko tossed her a bean puff. "Where'd you get the money for all of this?"

"What does it matter?" he snapped. Katil's head popped back with an insulted look.

"What's your problem?" she snapped back.

"I don't have a problem! I bought it for you-you should be grateful-!"

"Okay, okay settle down, you two." Iroh motioned with his hand, "It's early and we're all a little bit cranky." Zuko just ground his teeth and bit into a roll.

"Sorry," Katil apologized, biting into her own puff. She swallowed the delicious little lump. "You know, the weirdest thing happened to me last night..." she began.

"Really?" Iroh inquired. Zuko's eyes dashed to hers for a brief moment.

"Yeah...I woke up, and I guess I thought that Zuko was missing, so I went out to look for him, and when I was in town, I got attacked by some crazy man in a blue mask!" Iroh's eyes flashed open.

"How would you describe this mask?" he asked gravely.

"Um...well, blue, like I said, white trim, horns...pointy eyes...big, sharp cheeks, and a huge grin."

Iroh glared at his nephew, who promptly stood up, "I'm going out," he announced. Katil started to stand up- "Alone," he insisted. Katil frowned and slowly sat back down.

"What's wrong with him?" she asked Iroh, Zuko's footsteps fading.

He didn't answer.

The next morning the cave was filled with the smell of cooked, rich meat. The morning after that, warm bread and there was a new porcelain tea pot for Iroh. Katil was starting to get suspicious-but Iroh was beyond that.

"Nephew, we need to talk," he said, grabbing Zuko before he could stalk off into the forest as was he sudden habit.

"Later-"

"No, now, Zuko." He said firmly. They talked quietly, Iroh stern and serious while Zuko became increasingly irritated and then irate. Finally Zuko ripped away from Iroh, claiming he needed time to think. Katil jumped up and ran after him, leaving Iroh alone once again. The old man sighed and returned to the cave, head hung low.

"What's going on?"Katil asked, grabbing his arm. He shook her off.

"Go back to the cave!" He ordered.

She stopped walking, her face shrouded in disbelief, "I'm only trying to help you-!"

"I don't need your help!"

"Obviously you do-"

"DON'T TELL ME WHAT I NEED, PEASANT." He ordered, chest heaving.

A soft frown hung on Katil's trembling lips and her hands were balled into shaking fists, "You can be a real jackass, you know that?" she whispered through gritted teeth. His furious face melted into shameful guilt. He took a step towards her, but she turned away, holding herself. He couldn't bear to look at her. "What are you going to do?" she finally asked after an eternity of silence.

He was quiet at first. "I...I think I need to travel on my own for a while." He admitted, "Uncle just wants us to start a new life but...I can't do it. I have to restore my honor." Katil suddenly perked up. "I have to capture the Avatar." The corner of Katil's lip cocked up.

"That's going to be hard on your own," Katil reminded him, subduing her smile. He kept his eyes on the ground. She quickly walked over and took his hands, "Let me come with you," she asked in a whisper, their lips nearly touching. Zuko's heart started to beat as Katil's eyes flicked from his to his lips and back. He could see the tip of her tongue dance just across the inside of her bottom lip... "Take me with you," she told him, just grazing her lips on his. Her damp eyes fluttered closed, and she pressed her mouth to his, wrapping her arms around his torso. His hands rested awkwardly on her arms, but after a moment, he slid his arms around her lower back. Slowly, Katil pulled away, letting her lips linger for just whisper, "Let's leave tonight." He nodded, and lowered his head to kiss her again, but she pulled away. "C'mon," She took his hand and he dutifully followed her back to camp.

They told Iroh of their plan as soon as they returned. He was...too understanding. By sundown they were riding away on the ostrich-horse with most of the food and water. Katil rode in back, her arms around Zuko's middle, her palms cupping his toned abs.

"Zuko?" Katil whispered as they merged onto a narrow dirt road heading north.

"Hm?" he asked.

"Do you really think we'll find the Avatar?"

"...yes." he answered definitely. They rode on for a few more minutes. "Katil?"

"Yeah?"

"Remember how you asked me...if I'd ever been in love?"

"Yeah,"

"Well I...I think I..."

Katil sat up, "What?"

He shook his head, "Nevermind,"

"Mmm okay," she whispered, resting her soft cheek on his back. He smiled, and together the two began to ride deep into the desert alone.


	3. A Dilapidated Little Town

**Quick AN: I just want to say thanks to everyone who has favorited, alerted, reviewed and most of all read this story. It means a whole lot.**

**Also want to mention that there is a scene in this chapter that may be a little racy for some (you'll know it when you get there). If you want you, you can skip it, it's pretty short, and nothing of consequence happens. **

**Thanks again for reading, and enjoy the chapter-it's a long one.**

* * *

"Just a bit more…?" Katil begged, reaching around Zuko's withering body to the canteen. He sighed, and handed her his share for the day, the only water they had left. She guzzled it greedily, tossing the empty sack into his lap. Exhausted, she laid down on Zuko's damp, hunched back, too hungry to sleep.

Eight days after leaving Iroh to travel on their own they were already out of food and water with no towns or markets in sight. The sun pounded on their bony bodies and dried them out—Zuko's lips were already cracked and bleeding, and the back of Katil's neck was starting to blister and pus. They were only a few days from dying, and their blood was starting to boil. More than once they suggested raiding one of the rare camps they found, but something in them kept them on the straight and narrow, and that meant dry, empty stomachs for yet another day.

Despite all of this, Zuko and Katil still mustered the energy to be together every night. Sitting beside a dying fire they would kiss and touch until Katil fell asleep snuggled in Zuko's arms. Often he would close his eyes and softly kiss her forehead and her cheeks until she dozed off, then he would watch her through half lidded eyes, lips resting against her peeling skin, and he would think about how in the world he was going to get them out of this desert alive.

They rode on for hours and hours. The dunes on the horizon were starting to blend together with the sky... strange creatures were growing out of the cacti…the sand…the heat…Zuko started to nod off, but shook himself awake. His eye lids were so heavy…the ostrich horse twisted underneath him and squawked loudly. Shocked, Katil clenched her arms around his bloated middle. He winced and roped the animal back into control, but when he looked up, he could've sworn he saw something.

"Is that…?"

"Do you see it, too?" Katil asked.

"It's…it's a town!"

"Food!" She moaned, hugging him tight, "Zuko, we're gonna make it!"

He squeezed the ostrich horse with his knees and they picked up speed. It was a dilapidated little town—shutters swung freely in the dry desert wind and roofs sometimes had cracks so deep you could see right into the house. Almost no one was on the streets besides a group of Earth Kingdom soldiers gambling beneath an awning. They pulled up next to a small shop.

"Can I have a bag of feed and some hot food?" Zuko asked, pulling out what little money they had left.

"Uh…sorry, kids. This won't get you any food."

"Are you sure?" Katil asked, leaning over the counter, pushing her breasts together, and pouting her cracked and bleeding lips.

The man gave her an apologetic frown, "I can get you two bags of feed."

She sighed, "Alright," The man dropped two bags on the rickety wooden counter.

"HEY," Katil and Zuko turned around. A big, burly, angry man with leathery skin and egg whites dripping down his face stumbled over to them. Katil snickered. "Which one a' you threw that egg?" He drawled. Zuko just rolled his eyes and turned back around,

"We didn't throw any egg," he growled.

"Well did ya see who DID throw that egg?"

"No,"

The big guy's skinny little cronies, all leather skinned with dark brown, matted hair, started to gather around him.

"Egg had ta come from SOME where,"

"Maybe a chicken flew over," He quipped. Katil slapped a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing.

The big guy scowled, revealing rotting, crooked teeth. He motioned at one of his men who promptly ripped the two bags of feed out of Zuko's arms. Katil's hands flashed to the hilts of her swords but Zuko caught her before she could do anything hasty.

"Smart move, stranger," the big guy sneered, "Thank you fo' yo' contribution—the army greatly appreciates it." He turned around, but suddenly snatched Katil up by the back of the collar, "You better get out of town—" he warned, "—the price for stayin's a lot steeper than you can afford." He threw her down and Zuko caught her tightly with only the slightest hint of a stumble.

"Those guys are supposed to be protecting this village," The shop keeper grumbled, "But they're just a bunch of bullies,"

"No kidding," Katil whispered as Zuko grabbed the ostrich horse reins and turned his group down the village streets.

Suddenly, a little boy popped up, "Hey, thanks for not ratting me out back there!"

Zuko tugged Katil, who was just now realizing what had actually transpired, right past the kid without a word.

"You should come back to my house—we can feed you and your ostrich horse!" Zuko paused. The kid took the opportunity and grabbed Zuko's arm, "C'mon, I owe you!"

Katil smiled. The boy's name was Lee. He was small and skinny with floppy brown hair and big, brown eyes. He was a missing a few teeth, but his grin was radiant. Katil couldn't help but stare at him as he rabbled on, Zuko giving the occasional reply. He looked so much like Nobuo used to.

Lee's family farm was relatively well-off compared to the rest of the town, though their roofs too needed a little patching. His parents both seemed to be kind and simple people. Lee told them all about how Zuko had stood up to the soldiers, and almost immediately they offered them feed, food, and a place to sleep.

"Why don't you help Gansu with the roof," The wife offered to Zuko, "You can help me with the cooking," she told Katil. They both nodded quietly.

"My name is Sela," The woman told Katil as they walked off towards the house.

"Katil," She answered quietly, her eyes locked on the older woman before her. She, too, was hatefully familiar. She was just a few inches shorter than Katil with a similar build, dark, loose hair and bright, motherly eyes. Even the light layer of dirt on her skin made Katil feel nostalgic. Her mother was never totally clean—she loved to work in her garden.

The house itself was big, but humble: sparse furniture, not too many decorations. Katil got straight to work dicing onions and cubing potatoes for the stew Sela was going to make. "Thank you again, Sela," Katil started, her eyes trained on her work, "I can't tell you how much this means to the both of us."

Sela smiled from the large pot she was stirring, "No, don't worry about that. It's you who we should be thanking."

Katil glanced at her with a questioning look.

"Those soldiers…all they do is steal and torment our village. They give the Earth Kingdom army a bad name—a name that good men like our oldest son have to wear."

"That must be hard," Katil nearly whispered, "having your son off at war,"

"It is," Sela admitted, "but he wants to protect our nation—who are we to keep him from going?"

Katil nodded, her eyes glazing over as she dragged her knife down the side of a potato. Her father had said something just like that when Nobuo had announced that he wanted to join the Fire Nation army. Katil remembered that day so clearly…she was sitting at the dinner table, head barely peeking over the top as she struggled to kick off her tiny red shoes. Her father, a large man with a thick black beard and a kind, wrinkly face, took her tiny hand in his and told her to sit quietly as her mother served them their dinner: smoked fish on a bowl of rice. Her mother called for Nobuo. Her voice was so smooth and it carried throughout the house with a resonant ring. Nobuo called back in his high, cracking voice, "Be down in a second!" Her mother turned back to her husband with a flustered look, "That boy—he's either in his room, or he's outside with his friends—it's like he never has time for his family anymore!" "Boys will be boys," Her father answered with a chuckle. Katil rested her head on her father's arm. His voice was like boulders tumbling down a rocky cliff, his breath smelled like tobacco and fish, and his arms were so very strong. Nobuo came flying down the stairs, his floppy dark hair askew and his outfit in singed shreds. Katil's mother sighed, "Nobuo—that's the second pair of pants you've ruined." She told him. He shrugged, "I'm sorry, Mom, but we were playing Capture the Village and I was a villager this time!" She slid Nobuo's dinner to him, "Well just make sure next time you play you're the soldier, okay?" "Okaay, Mom." He promised, digging into his dinner. "Why don't you ever let me play Capture the Village with you and your friends?" Katil asked, shoving a spoon full of rice into her mouth. "Because you're a girl!" "Why does that matter?" "Because it does!" "But I can fire bend just as good as you! See?" She shot a punch of fire across the table at him, but her mother quickly intercepted it and gave her husband an exhausted look, "Spirits if I could've had just one child like you, Guo," He shrugged with a hearty laugh. Katil stuck her tongue out at her brother. He kicked her under the table. "Okay, okay," Guo wrapped his arm around his small daughter, "settle down kids." Nobuo and Katil both laughed and dug into their meals. Only a few minutes after they began to eat, Nobuo spoke up, "I have something I want to say," he announced, standing up. "Oh, this is exciting," "Hachi, let the boy speak," Guo cautioned with a grin, taking his wife's hand. He looked at his young son, their dark, soulful eyes meeting. "I…" Nobuo's knees clacked together, "I want to join the army," "What?" Hachi exclaimed, "Join the army…are you crazy?" "No!" Nobuo insisted, "I want to help win the war for the Fire Nation, I want to help end it quickly, so fewer people have to die!" He explained. Hachi's eyes glazed over, but Guo began to softly laugh. Hachi slapped his hand. "Guo-!" "You realized this today, did you, son?" Nobuo nodded. "Well, if you want to join the army to save people, then what choice do I have but to let you go?" "But—" Guo squeezed his wife's hand. She sighed, and even though her eyes were filled with tears, she smiled at her son, and nodded. A grin exploded on his face. "I'm…I'm gonna be a soldier—you hear that, Katil?" He asked, grabbing his tiny sister under the arms. She giggled as he lifted her in the air and spun her around, "I'm going to be in the army!"

"Besides," Sela added, "the Avatar has returned. Maybe soon this whole war will end and my son can come home, don't you think?"

Katil blinked and looked at the woman, realizing where she was. Quickly, she wiped her eyes with her sleeve, "Onions," she explained. Sela just smiled at her.

"Help me get this hog chicken prepared,"

Katil nodded earnestly, and the two women set to work.

The stew was ready about a half an hour later. The men came inside from their work sweaty and hot and hungry. Katil slid into a spot next to Zuko at the table, taking his warm and calloused hand in hers. "Hey," she whispered, smiling sweetly at him. He smiled back. "Did you hurt your finger?" She asked with a small laugh as Sela put the bowls of stew down at the table. Katil and Zuko dug in almost immediately, draining their bowls with gusto.

"Don't worry," Sela laughed, "I made seconds,"

The barn where Zuko and Katil were designated to sleep was actually quite cozy after all of the roof work they'd put into it. They settled in together on the hay, bellies full, hearts warm. Katil pressed her nose to Zuko's and ran her fingers through his sandy hair. It had gotten a bit longer since the day she'd met him. It was scruffier now.

"You're smiling," Zuko whispered, his lips grazing hers. She cupped his good cheek with her palm.

"I was just looking at your hair," she admitted, "You look good,"

"Uh…thanks," he answered.

She kissed his lips softly, then his nose, his lips, and his chin, "How was repairing the roof?" She asked.

"…fine," he answered after a moment. She pulled away just far enough to give him a questioning look, "I…was thinking about my mother," he confessed.

"Lady Ursa,"

He nodded.

"I was thinking about my mother, too. And my father…and my brother,"

"Do you miss him?"

"Do you miss your mother?" She asked frankly. He looked down for a moment. She kissed him again, "Thank you, by the way," she whispered, letting her lips linger against his, "for taking me with you."

He hugged her tightly, and, pressing his nose to hers, eyes filled with earnest: "Katil...I love you," he confessed.

Katil's heart stopped and her eyes grew as wide as dish plates.

"W-what's wrong?" Zuko asked, taking her face in his hands. She sat up and turned away from him, holding herself,

"Zuko, I—"

"What? You don't love me back—?"

"Of course I do!" She found herself staring right into his eyes, and suddenly she felt a warm breeze circle her body and lift her from the earth. "I…I love you…" She exclaimed under her breath, her lips turning up into a smile, "Zuko, I love you!" she told him, throwing her arms around his body. He squeezed her tight and then pulled her into a deep kiss. She kissed him back, their lips diving back and forth across each other's. Katil could still taste stew on his tongue. She undid the clasps on his shirt and her palms skated across his smooth, toned chest. She moaned quietly into his mouth and could feel a shiver run down his spine. She grinned, reaching up to undo her dress.

"Katil—?" He whispered, but she stopped him, and undid the clasps anyways. The top fell down to her waist, revealing her less than modest bosom. Zuko just kind of…stared at her for a moment. She smiled with a quiet laugh, taking his hands in hers as she dipped down to kiss him again. Distracted, he didn't put up any kind of restraint when she placed his hands on her breasts, her hard nipples digging into his palms. He squeezed her hard, and she squeaked, "Ha…ease up there,"

"Sorry," he mumbled, letting her go. She took his hands again and set them back on her chest,

"No, it's okay," she assured him. He gently massaged her breasts and rolled her nipples in between his fore fingers and thumbs. She moaned, running her fingers into his hair and slowly pulling his face towards her breasts. He looked up into her stormy eyes and slowly pushed her down onto her back. Though a little hesitant at first, he took her into his mouth and slowly circled her with his tongue. He sucked and nipped gently, and she pulled lightly on his hair to get him to bite just a little bit harder. Light squeaks escaped her lips as she writhed underneath him and reached down to stroke his growing member. He gasped as she squeezed him, and, seeing the surprise in his eyes, she grinned and rolled him over. She pulled off his pants and unwrapped the waist band from her dress, leaving only Zuko in his undone shirt. She slid the tip of her tongue from the base of his shaft to the head, staring into his wide, golden eyes before sitting up and straddling his waist, his tip pressed firmly to her entrance. She was about to slide onto him when he grabbed her arm,

"Katil—are you sure you want this?" he asked. Her face fell for a moment, and a memory dared to push it's way into her clouded mind but she shook it off and pressed her mouth to his,

"Zuko, I love you," She whispered against his lips. Her face was flushed and her lips swollen and Zuko could feel his heart beating through his chest as she pushed just the very tip of his member inside of her, "and I want to love this part of you, too," She pressed just a bit harder, taking his head. An ecstatic shiver ran down his spine and he grabbed her naked hips tightly,

"Me too," He whispered, giving her a soft kiss before slamming her down onto his hips. Her eyes and mouth popped open and she barely held in a scream as his head knocked into her cervix. She rolled her hips, feeling him rub against every inch of her walls. Her face broke into a devilish grin as she started to bounce up and down, digging her nails into his chest and throwing her head back. He started to move his hips with hers, pounding up into her pussy and, with a little adjustment, hitting her spot every time. She began to breathe faster and harder as he rammed into her, "Oh…ooohh…!" She moaned, struggling to stay quiet, "Zuko, I'm…" he paid no attention to her—his own body was starting to tense up. She squeezed her thighs and tightened her canal and Zuko moaned in response. His eyes were wide open, watching himself slide in and out of her as she bounced up and down, watching her breasts jump as she moved, and watching her face twist into one of ecstasy as she came on him. All of it sent him over the edge, too, and he exploded inside of her, cum dripping down his shaft. She slid off of him and fell into the hay, hands above her head, her brow beaded with sweat. Zuko's chest heaved up and down, his hand on his chest, his abdomen soaked.

"Hay?" Katil offered with a light, breathy laugh. He grinned and took it from her, using it to dry himself off. They quietly redressed. Katil gave up on her hair do. She pulled the pins out and shook out her thick mane. Zuko slinked his arms around her middle, pressing his nose into her hair. "Hey there," She giggled as he inhaled deeply,

"I like the way you smell,"

"That's weird."

"Really?"

Katil just smiled at him and kissed him softly and again they laid down together in the hay. They kissed slowly and gently, wrapping their arms around each other's damp bodies. Katil buried her face into his chest and began to doze off as he stroked her hair. She was just about to fall asleep when he asked,

"Katil?"

"Mm?"

"When…when I told you I loved you…you got upset."

"…"

"What's wrong?" he asked, pulling her away from his chest to look into her eyes.

She smiled and shook her head, "Nothing! I…I was…just surprised," she said with a small shake in her voice. He pulled her head back to him, and she bit back small, guilty tears until she finally fell asleep…

The next morning she and Zuko woke up early, packed and were ready to go just after sunrise.

"Here is some food," Sela said, handing Katil a small package.

Katil smiled and bowed, "Thank you,"

"I'm sorry we can't give you more,"

"This will last us for longer than you think," She laughed. From the ostrich horse Zuko stuck out his hand and pulled Katil up and on behind him, "Tell Lee and Gansu tha…" She stopped midsentence as the hogs in the yard began acting up. A group of men on ostrich horses rode into the yard. It was the soldiers.

The big guy from before stopped in front of Lee and his family and dismounted with a sick grin on his face.

"What do you want, Gow?" Gansu snapped as he came out of the house, Lee close behind.

Gow snickered, "Just thought you oughtta' know that your son's battalion got captured." Sela gasped, her eyes wide with horror, "You boys hear what happened to the last bunch of Earth Kingdom prisoners they captured?"

"Dressed 'em up like Fire Nation soldiers and put 'em on the front lines—unarmed, is what I heard. Then they just watched—"

"YOU WATCH YOUR MOUTH!" Gansu snapped. Sela held him back. Gow took a dangerous step towards them, but Zuko turned the ostrich horse and cut him off. He gave Gow a threatening glare with one hand on the hilt of his swords. Gow spat on the ground below Zuko and remounted his steed,

"Why bother rooting around in the mud with these pigs?" He growled, "Let's go," he turned his ostrich horse around, and led his snickering cronies back towards the village. Sela was crying. Gansu was holding her tight. And Lee…Lee, standing behind them, his eyes wide and confused…suddenly, Katil saw a revelation occur in his eyes, and she remembered the exact moment when she felt the same exact way.

Nobuo had been gone for five months, and no one had heard a word from him since he left to join the army. It was the middle of the night and Katil was asleep in her bed on the second floor. However, when a heavy knock pounded on their front door, she shot out of bed and hurried to the staircase. She had been waiting for the day when Nobuo would come home and she could hardly contain her excitement. Guo stumbled to the front door, wiping his tired eyes. "Hello?" He greeted, opening the door. It wasn't Nobuo. It was a Fire Nation official. He handed Guo an envelope just as Hachi walked up behind her husband. "…thank you," Guo whispered gravely, closing the door on the official. "Guo, what is that?" Hachi demanded, her voice already choking up. Guo opened the envelope and pulled out a small piece of paper. Whatever was on it sent Hachi into hysterics and even made Guo shed horrible, gleaming tears. The two parents hugged each other tightly, and from the staircase, somehow, Katil just knew that her older brother Nobuo was never coming home.

"I'm going to find Sensu," Gansu told his wife. Lee's eyes popped open and he ran over to Zuko.

"When he leaves," he choked out through teary eyes, "will you stay?" A pounding lump grew in Katil's throat.

Zuko shook his head, but he reached into his bag and pulled out a sheathed dagger. "Here," he told him, "read the inscription," the little boy pulled the knife out of its sheath. The steel gleamed in the sunlight.

"Never give up without a fight," he read in almost a whisper. He looked up at Zuko, but before he could say thanks, Zuko and Katil were riding off into the sunset. For a moment, Lee just stood there, tears rolling down his face. He turned to his father, "You're not really going to leave, right?" he begged.

Gansu walked over to his son and took his face in his hands, "I'm sorry son. I'll be back soon, I promise." He whispered, kissing his son's forehead. He didn't even bother to grab any of his things. Just ten minutes after the thugs had left, Gansu was gone, his crying son and mourning wife watching his back as he disappeared into the dust. Suddenly, the sound of clapping feet rumbled towards them.

"Oh no…" Sela whimpered, squeezing her son to her side. Gow and his men charged the farm,

"We're here for your food rations." He growled with hand on the hilt of his hammer. Sela was about to go inside and grab what she could, but as soon as she let go of her son, he whipped out Zuko's knife and started running at the soldiers,

"LEAVE US ALOOONE!" he screamed, wildly slashing the knife around. One of the men effortlessly picked him up by his collar and ripped the knife out of his hand. The boy's face was bright red, wet, and snot dripped out of his nose. Gow snickered,

"Ooh, what a brave boy." He took the knife and its sheath and tucked it into his belt, "If he's old enough to wield a knife," he turned to Sela, "he's old enough to join the army."

"NO!" She screamed. But they had already turned around and taken off towards the town. Lee struggled to get free, but he couldn't get out of the man's grip. As they passed through the town, people slowly came out of their houses to see what was going on.

"Gow, what do you think you're doing with that boy?" The shop keeper yelled from his counter. Gow ignored him, tossing a length of rope to one of his men. They dismounted their steeds and immediately trussed Lee up to the nearest post.

"He'll come and save me!" Lee yelled. Gow grinned,

"I know,"

It took about ten minutes, but there, in the distance, the shadow of an ostrich horse with two riders appeared. When they had come close enough that their faces could be discerned, the rage on Zuko's sent a shiver down every spine in the crowd.

"Go wait over there with Sela," he told Katil, "I'll handle this,"

She was hesitant for a moment, but nodded, "Okay. But remember, you can't fir—"

"I know," he cut her off. She waited another moment, then kissed his shoulder softly and slid off of the ostrich horse. Zuko dismounted as well, and handed the reins to Katil, who took the ostrich horse and Sela into the crowd.

"Let the kid go," Zuko ordered, stepping into the center of the street.

"Who do you think you are telling US what to do?" Gow seethed, puffing out his chest.

"Does it matter? You guys are nothing but cowards." Zuko spat.

Gow's eyes popped open. He looked around at his men. "Are you gonna let this stranger insult you like that? Go!" He ordered. His men snickered as they cracked their bony little knuckles and brandished their weapons. One by one they challenged Zuko, and he easily took them down with his bare hands. Gow ground his teeth and spat onto the ground. "Looks like I'll have to do this myself," he growled, pulling his heavy steel hammers from his belt. Zuko unsheathed his twin broad swords, their sharp, gleaming edges glinting in the…Katil squinted her eyes as though she was having a déjà vu, but shook it off.

Gow struck the earth with his hammer and huge boulders levitated into the air. He whipped around and smashed them and they flew straight towards Zuko who dodged and deflected and—a boulder came crashing into his middle. Katil slapped a hand over her mouth to keep from screaming. Zuko's breath was quick and haggard, but he got up, and the barrage continued. Suddenly Gow dug his hammer into the ground just as Zuko was taking the offensive—the earth struck him in the chest. He flew back and slid a few feet on the rocky road, unconscious.

"NO!" Katil screamed, ready to jump into the street, but she couldn't get passed the crowd in time. Zuko's eyes shot open, and fear shot through Katil's body. "No…" Zuko spun up, chest heaving, an angry ring of fire erupting around him. The whole village froze. Zuko flourished his swords and sent a wall of fire hurtling at Gow. He dropped his hammers and was pushed back, but he got back on his feet fists raised. "No…please, stop it…" Katil begged, tears rolling out of her eyes. Sela had been frozen stiff, but now she was staring at Katil. "Who are you…?" She whispered.

"I AM PRINCE ZUKO, SON OF URSA AND FIRE LORD OZAI," Zuko yelled, "CROWN PRINCE OF THE FIRE NATION AND HEIR TO THE THRONE!"

Sela, eyes wide, shook her head, "How dare you," she spat at Katil, taking off to her son. The crowd was suddenly thin around her as people shrunk away in fear…and then anger. Everywhere around her people were scowling…seething…cursing. She ran to Zuko's side, just as he tried to give Lee his knife again,

"NO! I HATE YOU!" Lee shouted. Zuko stood up, white knuckling the dagger. He didn't look at Katil.

"C'mon," he told her. They mounted the ostrich horse together and rode away from the town in silence.

"This day always comes," Katil whispered against Zuko's back. She closed her eyes, and there she was, standing in that town square over the body of the man she had just killed for the sake of her village. Her hands were in the air—she was saving them!—and all they could do…all they could do was hate. All Nobuo wanted to do was save his country from more death, and yet, his own country killed him. Katil squeezed Zuko tightly. These people…they had a good reason to hate, and even though she no longer wanted to do it—this thing she had planned to do since she was seven years old—she knew she had to…

Even if it meant losing Zuko.


	4. The Scenario She Had Envisioned

"…so,"

"So,"

The two just sort of…awkwardly stared at each other.

"I guess we should…get going?" Zuko suggested.

"Sure." Katil shrugged, getting up. She dusted off her bottom and packed up her bed roll quietly.

Zuko just watched her work with a frown. Ever since they'd left the town Katil had been…distant—almost cold—and the resulting frustration was not making Zuko any easier to live with either.

"That's not tight enough," she told him, looking at his bed roll.

"FINE!" he shouted, throwing it onto the ground, "YOU DO IT IF YOU KNOW SO MUCH!"

"I WILL!" she snapped back, lashing her roll onto the side of the ostrich horse as he stomped off, "Where do you think you're going?" she called after him.

"I'm going for a walk. Just wait here!" He ordered.

"Tch," she ground her teeth and got down on her hands and knees to roll. Zuko was gone for over half an hour. Katil waited under the thin, sprawling tree where they had made camp the night before. Her anger had dispersed but a dark cloud hung over her head. Originally, she had thought that if she distanced herself from Zuko that the eventual breakup would be a lot easier, but they still hadn't seen hide nor tail of the Avatar and the constant bickering was starting to wear her out. Honestly, she just wanted her Zuko back.

"KATIL!" Her head popped up. Zuko was sprinting back into camp. She jumped up on her feet and ran over to him, grabbing his forearms,

"What's going on?" She asked,

"Tracks!" He told her, grabbing her up and kissing her hard.

"Tracks?" She asked as he pulled her over to and onto the ostrich horse. They took off at a gallop.

"Yes—tracks! Of a royal Fire Nation carrier." He added.

Katil was holding onto him for dear life as he pushed the ostrich horse to move even faster, "Why does that matter?" She yelled over the hard pounding of their mount's wide feet.

"It's Azula!"

"AZULA? What is the princess doing all of the way out here?"

Zuko had an unimaginable grin on his face, "Chasing me!"

"Then why are we following her?"

"Because she's following someone else!"

"WHO?"

Zuko kicked the ostrich horse one more time, forcing it to go as fast as it could, "THE AVATAR!"

Katil's heart stopped. Her grip on Zuko lessened just enough for her to nearly fall off. "Do you think you'll catch him this time?" she asked in his ear.

"WHAT?"

"DO YOU THINK YOU WILL CATCH HIM?" Katil yelled.

Zuko didn't answer for a moment. "…NO." He responded, "BUT I'M GOING TO FACE AZULA."

Azula…Katil had heard a few things about the crowned princess of the Fire Nation. She was the perfect princess, for one. Refined, polished, and about as self-important and intimidating as a person could get. Honestly, her eyes put more of a shiver in Katil's spine than the Fire Lord himself, but she assumed that was because the Fire Lord was a little more apt at hiding his inner demons than his legendary daughter. That was the other thing Katil had heard through the general rabble of the Fire Nation—Azula was a fire bending prodigy. By the age of nine she had mastered even the most advanced fire bending techniques. By twelve her fire had turned a much hotter and very distinct shade of blue. By the age of fourteen she was able to create lightning. Katil fancied herself a half decent fire bender, but at nineteen she still couldn't muster lightning. A pang of worry rattled her bones. Zuko was a good fire bender but…did he really think that he could beat Azula? Granted, Katil had only really seen him fight once, and that was against that awful earth bending soldier from the village, and she had never seen Azula fight, she had only heard rumors. Maybe the rumors weren't true? Maybe the very proud people of her hometown had…exaggerated a few facts? Still, she couldn't get rid of the awful swirling in the pit of her stomach that nearly sent her reeling.

They followed the tracks for hours, but finally they came upon the ruins of a town much like Lee's. About a hundred feet away they dismounted and tied the ostrich horse to the thin trunk of tree. Zuko was already moving in the direction of the town when Katil caught his arm,

"Zuko—"

"Katil, not now—Azula—"

"I know." She told him, planting her feet firmly between him and his famed sister, "I'm sorry, for the way I've been acting," she told him solemnly. His eyes dashed between the two of hers,

"I—"

"No, let me talk—for just a second." He pursed his lips and she took a deep breath, "I love you," she nearly whispered, "and I don't want this to end,"

He grabbed her arms tightly, "Why would it?"

She gaped at him for a moment, tears threatening to leak out of her eyes, "I…" could she tell him? "I…I'm worried about you," she only half lied, "be careful—when you fight her. I've got your back." She promised with a curt little nod, the smile plastered on her face about as genuine as her excuse.

He kissed her softly, wrapping his arms around her strong, rigid body and deepening the kiss. Her hands were shaking as she placed them on his back, her fingertips barely grazing the fabric of his shirt. After a moment he let her go, the tip of his nose grazing hers.

"Okay," he told her softly, turning to take off. He took a couple of steps but stopped again and turned back, reaching into his shirt, "Katil," he started, "I want you to have this," From his shirt he withdrew the short green sheath of the dagger he had tried to give to Lee.

Her body totally seized up as he placed the dagger in her trembling hands. It was all she could do not to drop it in the sand. "Zuko…?"

He rolled her fingers around the dagger and held them there, "Keep it," he whispered, planting a soft kiss on her cheek, "I love you," and with that, he turned and took off towards the ruined village. Katil stood there in the sand for a moment, just watching him run. Looking down, she slowly unsheathed the dagger. "Never give up without a fight…" she whispered, a small tear dropping onto its silvery blade. "Never give up without a fight." She repeated, slapping the knife back into its sheath and tucking it safely in her belt. She took a confident breath and let a smile grow on her mouth. Never give up without a fight—who said she had to join the Avatar to save the world? She could stay with Zuko and be happy and eventually—eventually she would have her chance to save her nation and avenge Nobuo's death—all she had to do was never give up!

Katil took off towards the ruins, but when she arrived, Zuko, Azula, and the Avatar were all three locked in battle. Blue fire—Azula was decisively handling both men with her devastating technique. "The rumors were true…" Katil whispered under her breath, ducking down behind a porch. She was just as terrifying as she was in the royal posters. Her golden eyes were even brighter than Zuko's, but they weren't warm or caring—they were malicious and calculating. Her limbs were pale and thin—she reminded Katil of her swords. Even the way Azula fought looked like knives slicing the air. Katil couldn't help but compare her fighting style to Zuko's—he was so much sloppier than she was. But you could see passion in the way he moved. Her attacks were so precise and effortless—it almost seemed like she didn't care. Suddenly Katil's musings were interrupted when Azula shot a blast of fire towards Zuko and knocked him back into a porch. He wasn't moving.

"No!" Katil shouted, exploding from her hiding spot and drawing her swords. Zuko slowly started to get up as Azula shot a second blast of blue fire. Katil leapt off of her right foot and dispelled the flames, landing in a roll and jumping back onto her feet. Azula's face looked shocked for a moment. Then her eyes zeroed in on Katil's face.

"…you…Kazue!" Azula gasped.

"That's right!" Katil snapped, throwing herself into an aerial and sending a blast of fire towards Azula. She quickly dodged but just as the Avatar opened his glider and hastily took off. Azula shot a deadly look at Katil, but took off after the small, flying boy. Katil turned her attention to Zuko and stuck of out her hand, "Are you okay?" she asked. He ignored her and dusted himself off.

"Yeah," he snapped, running off after his sister. Katil watched him go with pursed lips, but followed him anyways. Shots of blue fire and gusts of wind decorated the roof tops as Azula and the Avatar attacked and dodged, retreated and were blown back. Zuko and Katil scrambled up a stairwell and joined the two on the roof. The Avatar looked back just as Zuko shot a massive blast of fire at him, but his big brown eyes were locked on Katil. He twirled his glider, dissipating the flames, but Azula was attacking from the other side. Katil nimbly sprinted from one end of the roof to the other, blades spinning, she lunged at Azula who deflected one sword with her gauntlet and sent a drop kick flying at Katil's head. But Katil pushed up off of the ground and kicked Azula hard in the stomach, pushing her back a few feet. She was about to launch a second attack when she was pulled off of her feet by the Avatar's air ball. She landed hard on her butt and he looked back at her, waving,

"SORRY!" He yelled, zipping away. Suddenly she felt a hand on her collar and Zuko ripped her up onto her feet. Before they could really start to run, Azula swung her leg, an arc of blue fire rocketing towards them, lighting the roof ablaze. They both jumped to dodge, but as they landed, the roof underneath Zuko's feet collapsed—

"AAARGH!"

"ZUKO!"

He landed hard on the first floor of the building. "GO AFTER THE AVATAR!" He yelled at her through gritted teeth. Katil looked up. Azula had knocked the Avatar down, but he blew her off of the building just as the roof beneath him collapsed and he fell through.

Katil hesitated, "But—"

"GO!" He insisted, slowly starting to get up. Katil ground her teeth and stood up. Her eyes flicked from the open hole to Azula, who was running inside. Katil sprinted to the hole and jumped down, landing hard. The Avatar was stuck under a pile of wood. Katil saw Azula out of the corner of her eye and kicked a powerful blast towards her stomach. She deflected it easily, but Katil was too busy trying to free the Avatar to notice.

"Who—?" The Avatar started to ask. A blast of blue fire nearly took Katil's face off. She gritted her teeth and gripped the hilts of her swords in her fists.

"Kazue," Azula seethed, "I heard a lot of stories about you back home—you gave my father a lot of trouble. What happened? Everyone thought you had died." Katil flicked her wrists, her swords delivering a threatening glare, "Did you get soft?" Azula asked.

"You tell me." Katil snapped, throwing a circle kick at Azula's head. Azula reached up and caught her ankle, smirking. But Katil was smiling, too, "Oops," she whispered. Azula's smile fell as Katil twisted her body in the air and sent her other foot smashing into Azula's temple. She flew to the side. Katil landed on her feet and leapt towards Azula who had landed on a wall. She stabbed her swords through Azula's gauntlets and into the wood, keeping a firm grip on the hilts as she kicked Azula hard in the stomach and through the wall.

"Katara!" Katil turned back to the Avatar, but he was standing there, free, a dark skinned girl standing next to him.

"Oh good," Katil laughed just as a blast of fire zoomed past her. The dark skinned girl blocked it with a shield of clear blue water. Katil whipped around. Zuko had his fist extended and his chest was heaving. A blast of blue fire came at him from the right, and he and his sister were again exchanging blows. Katil, the Avatar and his friend rushed out of the building to join the fray. The Avatar swung his glider around and nearly blew Azula into the next building but she rocketed back onto her feet. Zuko began rapid firing shots at Azula and the Avatar who both easily dodged the attacks. Azula shot a wall of fire at Zuko just as the Avatar fired a blast of air, and although Katil and Zuko brought up a wall of fire to try and bock the attack, they were blown back into the porch of the last building. Wood crashed down on top of them and when the dust settled, Katil blasted the wood off of her body and rolled over—Zuko had blacked out.

"No—Zuko—wake up!" She yelled, shaking him. She suddenly heard the rumbling of earth bending. "Shit, who else is here?" She asked herself under her breath.

"ZUKO!" Katil's head snapped up. There, standing in front of the sun's bright glare, was Iroh. He knelt down next to Zuko and roughly shook him awake, "Zuko, get up!" he ordered.

"U-uncle?" Zuko asked weakly, his eyes fluttering open. Kati and Iroh grabbed him under the arms and pulled him onto his feet. They took off after Azula just as the Avatar and his quickly multiplying friends cornered her between two stone walls. The three fire benders joined the semicircle surrounding her, hands poised to fire.

She looked around her, and clicked her tongue. Slowly raising her hands she seethed, "Enemies and traitors, all working together. I'm done. I know when I'm beaten." She yielded, "A princess surrenders with honor."

The next moment was over before it had even started. One minute, they had won, and the next, there was a bright flash of light and Iroh was on the ground, a deep hole in his chest. Zuko screamed. Katil froze. Fueled with fury Zuko fired a terrifying blast of fire at his sister, and the other benders followed. Azula spun, casting a shield of fire, and when the smoke had dissipated, she was gone. Zuko stood there for a moment, staring at the spot where his sister had been, but then he whipped around and fell to his knees at his Uncle's side. Katil was paralyzed, wide eyed and unable to speak.

"GET AWAY FROM US!" Zuko howled at the Avatar and his friends. Katil still couldn't move.

The dark skinned girl stepped forward, "Zuko…I can help—"

"LEAVE!" He screamed. They all took a shaky step back. Katil didn't notice it, but her eyes were wet, and her hands were clutching her heart. The Avatar was looking at her…they all were looking at her, but a lump was stopping her from speaking, it was choking her.

"Z-Zuko…" she finally whimpered, taking a shaky step forward, "I—"

He whipped around, an arc of fire erupting from his hand. Katil's hands flew into the air on instinct. She screamed, feeling her skin catch fire and burn deep. Zuko turned straight back to his Uncle, his body shaking. Katil fell onto the ground, her eyes wide and her face wet. Zuko…he…

The Avatar looked at his friends and reached under Katil's arm, hoisting her into the air. Before she knew it, she was far away from the ruins…there was grass and trees…no…there was wind.

She woke up in the largest saddle she had ever seen, and sitting across from her were four kids, all fast asleep. She looked down. Her hands were heavily bandaged. Her eyes felt puffy and swollen. Her whole body ached. Her heart was suddenly beating out of her chest. Where was Zuko? Where was SHE? She looked over the side of the saddle. She was…she was flying!

"Holy shit…" she whispered, "holy shit…holy SHIT…!"

"How are you doing?"

Katil's head snapped back. Her dark eyes were wide and terrified and most of all bloodshot. The Avatar had moved to sit next to her. He was a small, skinny, but toned boy with a shiny, bald head and light blue arrow tattoos. His cheeks were soft and his eyes big and brown and warm and concerned. He glanced down at her hands.

"Um…fine," Katil choked out, trying to stretch her fingers. She grimaced.

"Katara used all of her water in the fight," he explained, "but as soon as we find some, she'll try and heal you,"

"Oh, um…thanks." Katil mumbled.

"I'm Aang," he introduced. His thin brown eyebrows furrowed together, "Thank you for saving me," he bowed to her.

She stared at her hands.

"…who are you?" he asked.

She laughed under her breath. "Katil," she said quietly.

"Azula called you Kazue,"

"Well, that's not my name anymore," she answered simply.

Aang looked away from her for a moment, and they sat there in silence, the wind blowing over their bodies and pushing small tears off of Katil's face. Finally, Aang turned to her again,

"Why did you protect me?" He asked.

She tried her best to smile at the boy, "Not all fire benders want your head on a stake," she said with a little chuckle. He…sort of laughed. "I've been looking for you for a long time," she admitted, wiping her eyes. He looked at her expectantly. "I joined Zuko to find you. Looks like it was a good move," She rotated her body and bowed to the Avatar, "Avatar Aang, it would be my honor to be your fire bending teacher,"

His eyes were as wide as dish plates, "But…I don't even know you—I have to ask my friends—and I haven't started earth bending yet—"

"It's okay!" Katil laughed, placing her hand on his shoulder. "We'll talk about it with your friends in the morning—you look exhausted," she noted. He smiled at her, and nodded, "Goodnight, Avatar Aang,"

"Goodnight…Katil." He told her back, returning to his original spot among his friends and closing his eyes. Katil watched him slink his little arm around Katara's side, and she bit her lip to hold back more tears as the skin beneath her bandages burned. It was going to scar, she just knew it. It was all going to scar.

Closing her eyes, she breathed in and out, trying to settle down. All of the anxiety that had flooded her body…it slowly drained out of her, and she felt empty. Slowly, Katil reached behind her head and pulled the pins form her hair, tossing them over the bison's saddle and down to the speeding earth. Pulling the dagger out from her belt, she unsheathed it. She tied her hair in a knot and she slowly sliced through the strands. Her black, stringy hair hung limply to the base of her neck as she dropped the rest over the saddle, the only remnants of her old mane the two long strands hanging down in front of her ears. She sheathed the dagger and placed it back into her belt, then laid down on her half of the saddle. Katil closed her eyes, and as the wind chilled her lonely body, she tried to whisper those crushingly morose words to herself, but her tears held her back.

Katil was seven years old, sitting on a staircase, watching her parents hold each other in mourning when she decided that one day she was going to find the Avatar no matter the cost, and help him stop this war. This was not the scenario that she had envisioned.


	5. A Whole Different Scale

"Hm…" The tall, skinny, dark water tribe warrior mused, rubbing his pointed chin.

Katil sat straight up, cross legged, across the camp from Aang, Toph, Katara, and Sokka, all eyes (and feet) on her, awaiting judgment. The back of her neck almost felt naked without the weight of her bun.

"So you say you want to teach Aang fire bending—but you were traveling with Zuko! How can we trust you?" Sokka asked, assaulting her face with his. His big blue eyes pierced her soul and hit a really awkward nerve.

"Well-when-I-was-twelve-years-old-I-defected-from-the-Fire-Nation-in-order-to—"

"Woah, woah, slow down there, lady—I've got pretty great hearing and I can't even understand you." Toph cautioned. She was a tiny little girl—tiny body, tiny arms, tiny legs, tiny feet, weirdly big head—but she was probably one of the most intimidating twelve year olds Katil had ever met. And she was blind.

Katil took a long, deep breath, "Whew, okay. I defected from the Fire Nation when I was twelve in order to avoid the draft, and then kind of…went on a murdering rampage along Earth Kingdom coasts sneaking into Fire Nation camps and LEAVING NO SURVIVORS!" she added, slicing her throat with the tips of her fingers.

"…I dig her," Toph quipped, crossing her little stick legs. Aang and Katara looked like a rabid platypus bear had just reared up behind Katil's head. Katara looked a lot like her brother—just a little shorter, fuller, and with cute little hair loops.

"Mm…very impressive—but! Aang can't start his fire bending training until he starts earth bending—what will you bring to the group in the mean time?"

"I can hunt!" Katil exclaimed, jumping to her feet.

Sokka flitted around, waving his hand, "Words, wor—"

Katil drew one of her short swords and fired it into the sky. Everyone's heads slowly tilted up, then shot down as a giant porcupine eagle came crashing down in front of them, steaming blade through its neck. "Tada! Dinner for a week!" Aang nearly fainted.

"…I believe that will suffice—!" Sokka nearly decided, angling towards the giant dead bird with greedy fingers, but Katara interrupted him,

"Hold on, hold on—we still don't know if what she said earlier is true. What if she's really just a spy for Zuko or something?"

"During our fight, Azula called her Kazue," Aang recalled, staring at his crossed feet, "and mentioned something about how she…'gave her father a lot of trouble'. I think she's telling the truth." He concluded.

Toph nodded, tapping her foot on the ground, "One hundred percent!"

Katil beamed. "And I don't think she's working for Zuko, either," he added, "she never attacked me during the fight—she even protected me. And those burns…" Katil's smile fell. She looked down at her bandaged hands—she could hardly move her fingers. Aang just left his words hang in the air.

"So…is that it? Will you let me join your group?" Katil asked hopefully, tucking her hands behind her back.

"Yes—if you never do that again." Katara said, pointing to the hulking mass of dead. Katil laughed awkwardly, pulling her dripping sword out of the beast's neck.

"She's just kidding!" Sokka whispered in her ear, "We are gonna eat like kings TO-NIGHT!" he sang.

Toph's fist shot into the air, "Woo!"

Aang just sighed, "I'll go look for some nuts."

Katil beamed. It felt like she never stopped smiling for the next near month. Sure the little group had their struggles—on a trip to a secret buried library in the desert, Appa was stolen, and he was still missing when they finally reached Ba Sing Se. Aang was distraught—the whole group was. But, as they crossed the Serpent's Pass, he got himself back together. Only a few times did Katil really get to spend time with Aang and start his fire bending lessons.

"Fire bending is about control," she told him, moving her arms in a circular motion, "if you let the fire get away from you, it will consume you."

Aang nodded, copying her movements.

"The power of fire bending comes from the energy stored in the stomach, and is released through the breath. Inhale," she demonstrated, "exhale," she punched and a pop of fire released into the desert air.

Aang stepped back and took his stance, "Inhale," he repeated, "exhale—!" He punched just as she did and an eruption of flame exploded into the air! Katil jumped in front of it, barely stopping it before it barreled into camp. Moving her hands in a circular motion she inhaled, consuming the fire's energy. The ball shrunk and dissipated in her palms.

"Whew," she exhaled with a cheeky grin.

Aang rubbed the back of his head with a big grin, "Oops?"

Katil didn't just spend time with Aang though on their long journey. She spent a lot of time with the water tribe siblings and even sparred some with Toph. But without a doubt, every single night the whole group would sit around the camp fire, and Katil would tell stories.

"What's with the swords, anyways?" Sokka asked one night, his mouth full of porcupine eagle jerky (that thing literally lasted them the entire month). "I mean, you can bend, so why?"

Katil slipped a piece of roasted fish in her mouth, "Well, thing is, the Fire Nation started a draft when I was ten. All able bodied fire benders had to begin training with the army when they turned twelve—no exceptions—non-benders go into intelligence," she added for flavor, "Now, most parents are proud to give their kids to the army, and most kids are excited to go, but my family was different. My brother, Nobuo, joined the army when he was fifteen, and they sent his battalion, full of new recruits, on the front lines to get slaughtered while a platoon of more experienced fire benders attacked from the rear."

A light gasp rattled the group, but Katil waved it off, "It's okay…it's been a long time since then," she assured them. "Anyways, when the notice of the draft was posted in our village, my father and I made a plan. We were lucky that so far I hadn't been attending any kind of fire bending academy—my mother was a fire bender, and I had been learning from her. There was also a tradition in my family that we were home schooled until twelve, so I didn't have many friends. Essentially, no one outside of my family really knew that I was a fire bender. My father was a non-bender—these were his." She unsheathed her two swords and twirled them in her fingers, "They're called kodachi—short swords. They're basically a shield. Both of my parents stressed defense rather than offense."

"Negative jing," Aang chimed in.

Katil nodded, "The swords are short and light, exchanging range and power for speed. My father taught me exhaustively. With a weapon skill and no sign of fire bending, I was sure to end up in intelligence and out of the fire fight."

"…so what happened?" Toph demanded, "You're here now—the plan obviously didn't work."

Katil shook her head, "No, you're right…it didn't." she confessed with a heavy tone, "About three months after my twelfth birthday the conscription officers came to our village. I was out buying groceries in the market, thinking I was safe. I even took my swords with me just in case anyone needed reminding of where my skills were," she added with an awful chuckle. "I was on my way home when I got attacked by an armadillo lion. It jumped out at me from the brush—trying to get the chops I was carrying. Without thinking I reacted—I fire bent. Someone saw me and reported me. They took me away that night."

"How did you escape?" Katara asked, leaning forward.

Katil stretched her arms over her head and yawned, "Let's save that one for some other night."

She never did tell that story.

Coming off of the Serpent's Pass, of course the group they were traveling with had a pregnant woman who just had to go into labor. Katil cringed throughout the entire ordeal and resigned herself to sitting outside with Toph and Mr. Queezy. As the family started towards the city walls to begin a new life, Aang decided that he would take a quick fly over the city for any sight of Appa, and Sokka and Suki made their goodbyes. Katil's heart throbbed watching their lips meet. By now her bandages had come off, but despite Katara's healing sessions, there was still a faint scar marring her palms. The group was on their way to Ba Sing Se on foot when Aang suddenly landed in front of them.

"Aang—what's going on? I thought you went to go look for Appa!" Katara asked.

Aang shook his head, "I did." He said gravely, "But something stopped me. Something big."

They took off as a group towards the outer wall, the young family in tow. There, its hulking frame rumbling brash and bold nearly a toe into the outer wall, was a giant Fire Nation drill. "Oh…Spirits…" Katil whispered under her breath. Of course she had heard stories of General Iroh's great siege of Ba Sing Se, but…this was on a whole different scale. They reached the top of the wall and, after handing the family into safe hands, headed towards the line of earth bending soldiers and their esteemed general.

"It is an honor, young Avatar, to have you on our outer wall but your presence is not needed!" He was a broad brick of a man with an infuriating mustache.

"NOT needed?" Aang asked, incredulous.

"Not needed! You see, I have already sent out an elite platoon of earth benders known as the Terra Team!"

"Catchy," Sokka admitted. The five peered over the edge of the wall, watching as yes, an elite looking group of earth benders took out one of the tanks flanking the drill and charged. Suddenly, a hatch opened on top of the drill and two women leapt out. The one dressed in decidedly darker clothing flung out her arm—from this distance Katil couldn't tell exactly what she had done, but the earth benders raised a wall of earth to protect themselves from it. This distracted them just long enough for the other woman to spring through their rankings, and as she touched each one of them, they dropped like flies.

"Who are THEY?" Katil asked.

"Those are Azula's friends," Katara answered gravely, "The one in the pink, Ty Lee…she can block your chi." Katara explained. Katil flashed her a confused look, "She can take your bending away," Katil's eyes snapped open and her mouth gaped. She looked back at the battle field, but the two women had already retreated back into the drill. In the background, the general was having a fit, and eagerly accepted the Avatar's help.

"But how are we going to take that thing down?" Aang asked, looking straight at Sokka.

Sokka's jaw hung loose for a moment. "Why are you looking at me?"

"Because you're the idea guy," Aang answered simply.

"So hurry up and come up with one!" Toph ordered, giving him a firm punch in the arm.

"…it's like she takes you down from the inside!" Katara told Katil who was eagerly soaking up this information.

"So who's the other g—?"

"THAT'S IT!" Sokka yelled. Katil and Katara turned around.

"What's it?" Katara asked.

"We're gonna take the tank down from the inside—like how Ty Lee took down those big earth benders!"

"By hitting its pressure points!" Toph exclaimed. Sokka beamed.

Aang looked over the wall, "Let's take it down."

They slid down the wall on another platform of earth and raced into an abandoned Terra Team trench. "I'm gonna whip up some cover," Toph told them, "stay close to me." She raised her hands into the air and ripped back—dust erupted from the earth and the group took off under the drill, climbing up through a hatch underneath. Toph opted to stay on the ground. The inside of the drill was a labyrinth of dark metal hallways and rooms. The lower floor where they entered was an extension of the engine room, it seemed, filled with pipes and valves. Sokka smashed a pipe with his hatchet and an attendant came by in a minute or so. Hiding behind a thin wall of pipes Katara bent the escaping steam and froze the attendant, allowing Sokka to snatch his schematics.

"Alright," Sokka announced, unrolling the blueprints for everyone to see, "it looks like the inner and outer structures are connected by these braces—we break those, and the entire thing will collapse!"

The other three nodded in agreement, and as fast as they could they maneuvered their way through the drill, careful to duck around or immobilize any guards that stood in their way. Once, a guard came out of the wood works behind the group, and Katil was taking up the rear. Quietly, just as he was about to call for help, she speared him through the throat with her blade and kicked him off to the side.

The support beams were…thick. Inhaling deeply Katil focused her fire into a single ray, cutting through one side of the beam while Aang and Katara used water bending to slice through the other side. It took almost ten minutes to cut all of the way through one beam, and the three were pouring sweat. The halved beam awkwardly shifted slightly to the left but…nothing.

"Holy shit," Katil whispered under her breath, dragging the back of her hand across her brow.

"I don't know how many more of those I have in me," Aang admitted, hands on his knees. Suddenly the whole drill quaked.

"The drill's coming down!" Sokka shouted, "C'mon, we gotta—"

"ATTENTION CREW! WE HAVE JUST BREACHED THE WALL OF BA SING SE!"

Katil's head dropped, "Shit." She mumbled, "We've gotta work faster." She stood up, looking at the other four.

"Wait," Aang said, having a sudden realization, "Maybe we don't need to cut all of the way through!"

Katil grinned and nodded. She leapt from that brace to the next, "I'll handle this one!" She called, "Meet me on the other end!" They nodded and set to work, Katil burning half way through half of the beams, Katara and Aang cutting half way through the rest. In about twenty minutes they were finished.

"Alright!" Sokka said proudly. "Now all we need to do is—DUCK!" Katil hit the deck as a roar of blue fire scorched over her head.

"Perfect," she growled, looking up into Azula's burning gaze. There behind her were the two girls from earlier—Ty Lee, Katil presumed, in the light pink, and…someone else with slick raven hair and beady black eyes.

"You guys get out of here—I know what I need to do!" Aang yelled. The three nodded and took off down the hallway, Aang close behind. Katara tossed Aang her water skin as they went opposite ways.

"Follow them—the Avatar's mine!" Katil looked behind her. The two girls were dead on their trail.

"Who IS that?" Katil asked as they ran.

"That's Ty Lee—"

"No, the OTHER one!"

"That's Mai!" Sokka yelled. Suddenly Katil dipped to the right as a small, razor sharp arrow zipped past her temple. "She throws knifes!" They hit a hard left and Katil fired a blast of fire back down the hallway. Mai ripped an opening in the wall with two daggers and Ty Lee slipped in behind.

"THAT'S Mai?" Katil asked, "SHE'S HORRIBLE!" They skid to a stop in front of a large valve. "What's slurry?" Katil asked.

"Who knows?" Sokka replied, wrenching it open, "Get in!" He ordered, jumping in feet first. Katara stared Katil down but Katil shook her head,

"I'll keep 'em busy for a while—even if Ty Lee takes my bending I can still fight. You go!" She told Katara. Katara nodded and slipped into the slurry.

Katil whipped around, hands on the hilts of her blades just as Ty Lee leapt into an aerial twist over her head. One—two—she struck Katil just below the shoulders and she felt her arms go slack as the feather-light girl fell into the slurry behind Katara. With her leg Katil slammed the slurry valve shut and began to shake out her arms when a shuriken pierced her gauntlet and pinned her right arm to the back wall, slamming her head into the hard metal. "Ugghh…" she groaned, rubbing the back of her head. Her vision folded back together, and there standing in front of her was a stick thin, tall, pale woman with straight black bangs and a glare that could kill. Her lips were as thin and pale as paper's edge and her nails were as long and black as nails. This was Zuko's first kiss?

"So Kazue returns from the grave," Mai droned, "This could actually be interesting,"

Katil reached up and ripped the shuriken from the wall, tossing it on the floor in front of her, "It will be." She promised, whipping her blades out from their sheaths and twirling them in her fingers. Mai squinted, taking a stance and letting a barrage of arrows fly through the air. Katil stepped circularly, twisting and bending and deflecting with her quick blades. She leapt at Mai, lunging to stab her in the abdomen, but she quickly jumped out of the way, and knocked Katil hard in the spine with her elbow. A shock reverberated through her body, but she dove a good few feet away from the knife thrower and regained her footing.

"What is that?" Mai snapped suddenly. Katil looked down. Zuko's dagger was peeking out of her dress.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" She jeered, hurling a sword at Mai's head. She ducked to the left as Katil charged, leaping into the air. Mai nearly stabbed Katil in the back with a dangerously long dagger, but she twisted and knocked Mai in the back of the head with the hilt of her other sword. Mai staggered forward as Katil pulled her right blade from the wall and charged again. Mai whipped around and fired two sai at Katil's wrists. They caught the tassels hanging from her kodachi and they flew from her hands and lodged into the back wall.

"Where's Zuko?" Mai growled. Katil grinned and came at her bare handed. They exchanged punches and kicks, dodges and blows. For every time Katil's heel dug into Mai's abdomen, her thigh delivered devastating blow to the side of Katil's head. Finally, Katil flipped backwards and rescued her swords from the wall, and the two women turned to face each other again. This time, Mai charged, and Katil braced for a projectile attack, but suddenly Mai was moving from side to side, and just as Katil realized what she was doing, it was too late. Katil jumped into the air to avoid her spinning kick, but Mai's other leg shot up and knocked her flat against the side wall of the tunnel. Before Katil could regain her bearings, Mai stood up and speared her to the wall by her sleeves. She pressed her pale, pointed little face against Katil's. "Where—is—Zuko—?"

Suddenly a huge shockwave shook the entire drill—the top of the slurry valve exploded and both women were covered in the rock and water mixture. The force of the explosion knocked Mai off of Katil, and she was able to get loose. She jumped down the empty slurry valve and slid onto the ground with a hard thud.

Katara, Sokka, and Toph were all at the opening of the slurry tank, an immobilized Ty Lee squirming around in their possession, "Looks like it went well," Katil laughed.

"Your dress is in shreds," Katara noted. Katil shrugged, sheathing her swords, "It happens."

The drill was in shambles. The city was saved. Katil, Katara and Sokka rode back up the remnants of the wall with Aang and Toph, and there, they just hugged each other from a moment—despite the disgusting mess that was everyone from all of the slurry.

"We did it," Aang whispered, clutching her friends extra tight. The group opted to wash their clothes that night and enter the city the next morning, and Katil offerd to go find them all dinner in the Lower Ring since she needed to find a new dress anyways. As soon as they split up, Katil bought herself the cheapest train ticket she could find and headed into the great city of Ba Sing Se.

The Lower Ring was…shady, to say the least, especially now that it was getting to be pretty dark. Katil tucked the pearl dagger deeper into her ruined dress as she walked down the streets, looking for any kind of a clothing shop. There was a small stand selling various cooked meats. Katil pulled out her wallet. Even though the train ticket she'd bought had been dirt cheap (she did ride in the cargo car), what she had left still wouldn't cover food AND clothes. Well, food would be easier to steal, she supposed. Whistling to herself she slipped next to the meat cart and, while the keeper was busy with a customer, she hastily dropped a few pounds of salted leopard pork into her bag and strolled off very casual-like.

"Those are some sticky fingers you've got there," A voice called to her from an alleyway. Katil paused, hiking the bag of stolen meats up higher on her shoulder.

"Excuse me?" She called, squinting her eyes into the darkness. From the shadows emerged a tall, willowy, tan man maybe a little younger than she with dark, bushy brown hair. He's eyes were deep and alluring when he smirked, a long strand of wheat perched in his sharp white teeth.

"I said, those are some sticky fingers you've got there—and some nice kodachi—you know how to use them?" He had a hand resting on the hilt of one of two gleaming hook swords.

"You need a demonstration?" She snapped.

"No," he laughed, "I believe you," he flashed her a smile and…were her knees going a little weak? "Name's Jet,"

"…Katil," she replied with a slightly suspicious smile.

"You know…" he said, stepping closer to her, their chests grazing. Katil felt her heart pound, "You would make a good Freedom Fighter, Katil,"

She just stared into his eyes. He smelled like earth and musk…it was intriguing.

"Meet me in front of that cobbler shop tomorrow night," he grazed the edge of his fore finger up her neck to the tip of her chin. "See ya," He whispered, turning back and disappearing into the shadows.

Katil just stood there in the street, her face flushed and her knees knocking. "What…just happened?"


	6. Leaving Zuko in her Wake

"Um...Katil? You there? Hellooooo?" Sokka asked, waving his hand in front of her paper-blank face. Her head snapped up, her mouth hung half open,

"Oh-uh-yeah..." She replied, easing off the wall and following the group out of the pet store.

Katara fell back in line with her, "You've been acting pretty strange all day," she noted, "is something the matter?"

Katil waved her off with a lackluster smile, "No, no, I'm fine!" She assured her, though Katara seemed unconvinced, "Just a little tired is all,"

"Hey, look! Let's try this guy!" Aang called, running over to a mousy looking grad student, that Joo Dee woman right on his tail. All day so far the group had been running around interrogating civilian after civilian on the possible whereabouts of a certain giant bison, but Katil just wasn't invested in their current enterprise-her mind was elsewhere. Still, she was conscious enough to notice that for probably the fourth time that day just as their victim was about to speak, Joo Dee gave him a slow shake of the head and they instantly clammed up, or, in this guy's case, scattered faster than a pigeon rat.

Aang sighed. "I'm sorry no one has seen your bison," Joo Dee apologized in a heavy accent. She was an average height, with an average build, with average straight, black hair and kind of a creepily thin smile. Katil was vaguely put off by her, that was for sure. "Why don't I take you back to your residence and you can try to get some rest, hm?" She asked with a curt cock of the head.

"Yeah, I guess," Aang shrugged, lingering behind the rest for just a few moments longer. The group slowly and reluctantly climbed back into their carriage, Joo Dee hurrying them along. The ride home was silent as the grave. Katil stared out of the window at the Inner Ring Wall for the duration.

"Someone will be over with dinner later," Joo Dee promised as the group climbed out of the carriage and onto their front porch. "Tataa!" she called as the carriage rumbled back down the rode towards the palace. Suddenly, Sokka whipped around,

"Come with me!" He whispered before hustling across the street. Katil peered around him just as a row of shutters on a house across the road snapped shut. They followed him to the front door of the house on which he pounded his fist.

A weasley old man slowly opened the door just wide enough to get a good peek at the visitors. Noticing Aang, he jumped and opened it wide enough to stick his head through, "Hey, you're the Avatar!" he squeaked out.

Aang nodded, pushing his way to the front of the group, "Yes, I am."

"I'm Pong,"

"Nice to meet you, Pong," Sokka replied, "So, what's going on in this city? Why is every one here afraid to talk about the war?"

"Afraid?" Pong asked, a hitch in his voice.

"I can feel you shaking," Toph quipped.

"Look," Pong stated gravely, giving the road a thorough glance-over, "I'm just a minor government official-I don't want to get into trouble."

Aang stepped forward, "Get into trouble with who-?"

"N-no one-I mean-!" The old man shakily exhaled. "Just, be careful. And whatever you do," he warned, "stay away from the Dai Li." With that he slammed his front door shut, leaving everyone pretty much stunned.

"Who are the Dai Li?" Katara asked on the way back to the house.

Toph shook her head, "They're the ones who make-and keep-the rules."

The house where they were staying was the nicest place Katil had ever had the chance to lay her head. It was roomy with wooden floors and sturdy, white stone walls. The roof was made of pristine green shingles and gold trim, and the circular, crossed windows were framed with dark, polished oak wood. The building itself was comprised of about eight rooms, including the main space and bathrooms. The bed that Katil got to call hers was, in relative terms, an absolute dream. But still, when she went back to her room to take a bath and a nap, she couldn't get to sleep.

Night hobbled in slower than Katil had ever experienced. It was accompanied by government prepared hot meals, which were surprisingly delicious-though any thing probably tastes better than rubbery, overcooked lizard frogs or raw desert beetles.

"Hey Katil, where are you going?" Toph asked after the meal was through. Katil was halfway out of the door, swords on her back, plates on her arms and shins, and a thick shade of red on her face.

"...a walk." She answered dumbly, slipping out of the front door.

Sokka just shook his head, "She's kind of...an enigma,"

"What's an enigma?"

"No clue."

"...?"

"Exactly!"

Luckily the trains from ring to ring ran all night, and they were free once you were inside the Outer Wall. Katil hitched a ride and was back in the lower ring in only about fifteen minutes. It was easy to find the cobbler's shop. She had been practicing the route mentally almost all day, only stopping to relive the feeling of that finger trailing up her chin...

The street outside the shop was empty, but Jet was waiting for her in the alley nearby and waved her in with a bright, toothy grin. "I'm glad you decided to come," he whispered, pulling her into the tight space, their chests an inch from touching. Katil couldn't help but notice that.

"Uh, thanks," she replied a little awkwardly, her cheeks flaming up.

"I've got a job just for you," Jet told her.

She nodded firmly, "What is it?"

"I'll explain on the way-c'mon!" He grabbed her by the arm and took off down the alley. She followed him close as they ducked behind a series of apartment buildings and scaled a nearby tree. From there they leapt on the the roof of the nearest building and hopped from roof to roof until Jet leapt into another tree and found a secure nook to rest in. Katil perched on another, just slightly lower branch,

"What are we doing here?" she asked, peering around the open lit windows.

"Tracking," he said frankly, "there are fire benders in this city," he growled.

Katil froze. She ground her teeth together and buried her face into her knees, mumbling "Oh of COURSE-"

"What?" Jet asked.

"N-nothing," she shook her head and shivered a bit, "So where are they?"

"That's their apartment,"

"It's empty,"

"Exactly. I need you to go in there and swipe their spark rocks."

Katil gave an understanding nod, "You're going to force them to fire bend,"

"They'll have no other choice,"

"...just out of curiosity," Katil started, looking up at her partner, "When you said I'd make a good Freedom Fighter, it sounded almost like you had sort of a...vigilante group. Where is everyone else? IS there any one else?"

Jet paused for a moment, laying his hand over his extended leg. He seemed oddly comfortable up in that tree in his ragtag armor, hook swords dangling dangerously below, "Yeah, there is,"

Katil stared at him for a little longer, waiting for a follow up, but he stayed quiet, "So why me?" she asked.

"...you just seem like the perfect one for the job," He whispered, finally looking down and giving her that grin, that grin that made her knees melt.

Katil shook it off with some struggle, "Alright then," she answered firmly, jumping off the branch and catching it with her hands. She swung through the open window and landed as light as she could in a tight roll, diving to the front door and out onto the apartment walk way. She stood up straight and slowly closed the door behind her before brushing herself off and calmly strolling down the path. Unlike their house in the Upper Ring, these apartments were dilapidated, dirty, cramped, and honestly more like what Katil was used to. Now...the apartment was four windows down from the one she had entered. One, two, three-she let a scruffy looking old man pass her-four! She stopped at the cracked wooden door and quickly looked around before trying the handle. Locked. Quickly she drew a sword and wedged it into the lock. With a quiet pop the door swung open and she slipped inside. Quickly she gave the place a general search-just to see if anyone was home, but it was empty besides a few generic duffel bags and a futon. "Good," she whispered, tiptoeing over to the mini-kitchen. She peered around the tiny stove top and then the counter, then started searching the drawers. "Bingo," she whispered with a grin as she gripped the spark rocks in her fist. She took a running jump out of the open window and clambered up the nearby tree. She gave Jet a thumbs up, and he nodded, standing up. He drew his hook swords and twirled them once in his hands before leaping off the branch. Katil watched in awe as he miraculously caught a nearby branch with his sword and swung hard, landed easily next to her on the limb.

"Wow, Jet, that was-"

"Let's see the rocks,"

She opened her hand and he swept them into his palm. "And you're sure there weren't any others?"

She nodded.

"Good," He gripped the spark rocks hard in his hand and glared into the apartment.

Katil frowned. "So...where are you from?"

Jet gave her an almost offended look.

"Well, who knows how long we'll have to wait. Might as well get to know each other, right?" She offered.

His face softened considerably, but he still looked a little confused. "I...I guess," he answered, finally the one caught off guard. Katil smiled.

"So what exactly are the Freedom Fighters?" She asked, dangling her feet off the branch and swinging them, a little brazen.

"We were a huge group of kids...living in the trees near an Earth Kingdom village, that had been taken by Fire Nation soldiers," Jet started quietly.

"You 'were'?"

"I was their leader...when I messed up, they didn't want me as their leader anymore."

"So who stayed?"

Jet sighed, letting his feet swing, too. Their feet knocked every so often, "Smellerbee and Longshot, my highest 'officers'."

Katil chuckled, "Cool names,"

"We had a tendency for those," Jet shrugged with a grin.

"Tell me about it," So Jet embarked on a long story about all of his "soldiers", from Smellerbee and Longshot to Pipsqueak and the Duke (whose names made absolutely no sense) to even the youngest and most useless of members. He knew every single one of the hundred or so people he mentioned by name, age, and even knew what kind of food they liked. Most of all though he knew all of their stories. He knew all of their tragic, Fire Nation wrought tales.

"...and that was the last time he saw his little sister," he told her, staring up at the sky. The night had totally swallowed the city by then, and their faces were only illuminated by the few apartment members still moving around at that hour. The fire benders still hadn't come home.

"...that's awful," Katil whispered, touching Jet's forearm gently. He shook his head with a sad chuckle, his eyes landing on her as he cracked a soft smile, his floppy brown hair nearly concealing those knowing brown orbs.

"You sound like you relate," he figured, leaning back on the branch.

"The Fire Nation killed my older brother-and they almost killed me," she added gravely.

"I'm sorry," he whispered honestly, putting his hand on hers. Katil's heart was beating...she was...leaning in-there are firebenders in this city-Jet's words rang in her head and she snapped back up to his slight shock. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, yeah I'm-" The lights in the apartment flicked on, "-they're back!" she whispered excitedly, jumping back onto her feet.

"Would you like a pot of tea?"

"We've been working in a tea shop all day! I'm sick of tea!"

"Spirits...!" Katil's heart that had just nearly beaten its way out of her chest was now frozen and sinking in her seized belly. "Oh no...oh no no no no no!" She whispered under her breath, her eyes wide as dinner plates and filled with horror. Jet didn't even notice. He was gripping the spark rocks tight in his wiry fist and leering at an old man who, kettle in hand, was just about to discover an important tool missing from his drawers.

"Sick of tea?" Iroh gasped, "That's like being sick of BREATHING!" Zuko rolled his eyes as he plopped his lanky, pale self on the futon, hands under his shaggy head. "Have you seen the spark rocks to heat up the water?"

"They're not there old man..." Jet sneered. Katil looked at him, horrified. She latched onto the tree trunk just to keep from falling.

Zuko didn't answer and Iroh scratched his head. "Oh please don't, no no no no no...don't do it...please don't do it..." Katil mouthed. Iroh shrugged, then stepped out of the apartment.

"Where are you going...?" Jet growled.

Iroh returned moments later, spark rocks in hand. Katil exhaled like she had never exhaled before, "I borrowed our neighbor's!" He struck the spark rocks and lit a flame underneath the kettle, "Such nice people..." he mused under his breath. Jet audibly ground his teeth before turning around and leaping off the branch onto the nearest rooftop, leaving Katil behind. She had to catch her bearings...of course they would be the ones Jet was tracking-how did he know they were fire benders? Does he know Zuko's scar, like she did? But more importantly, should she tell them Jet was on their trail? If they were revealed to the guards with considerable proof...in her thoughts, Katil let go of the tree trunk, and in a passing glance, she briefly saw the scars on her palms. She turned her hands over and stared, her eyes burning as salty tears fell onto her withered, pink skin. Wiping the tears off of her face she stood up, and took off after Jet, leaving Zuko in her wake.

It didn't take long to find Jet. He was literally steaming-you could almost feel the heat coming off of him.

"Where did you go?" he demanded as she slid down into another tight alley. "Nevermind-DAMNIT!" He cursed, kicking the wall hard with his steel toed boot. "Of course his neighbors would let him borrow their FUCKING SPARK ROCKS!" He screamed.

"Jet," Katil said firmly, grabbing his shoulder. He froze, a little stunned, then turned to face her, almost instantly simmering down, "you need to be quieter, you're going to wake people up-we don't want a panic without proof."

He sighed, and nodded. "You're right-maybe we can steal the spark rocks from the tea shop they work at and-"

"No," Katil told him, "The old man is not going to fire bend no matter what."

His brows furrowed, "How do you know that?"

Katil dropped her hand from his shoulder, "I..."

He stared at her expectantly.

"I know those guys." she admitted.

"You know them? How-?"

She cut him off, "It's a long story. Point is, forget the old man. Focus on the boy," He contemplated this for a moment, then nodded, "He's a hothead and almost never thinks anything through."

"Right," Jet leaned against the wall, arms crossed in thought, "so what do you think we shuold do?"

Katil bit her lip, "Well, it's beyond risky-"

"Tell me," he ordered, hopping off the wall and locking eyes with her.

Katil took a deep breath, "Well, there was one time-in plain view of an entire village-that he fire bent. You just have to beat him into it."

"You mean, I have to attack him?"

"Yeah, he's got a pair of broad swords-he'll use those first. You have to be better than him though-so much better that he's forced to use his fire bending against you."

"...and if I'm not better than him?"

"...as soon as you attack him someone's gonna call the city guard. And if they get there before you force him to bend...you'll probably be arrested-I don't know for how long." she added apologetically.

He leaned back against the wall to think again, but this time his brows weren't firmly knit together-his face was almost calm. "You're sure this is the best way to do this?" He asked quietly.

She leaned against the wall next to him. He was nearly a head taller than she was. "It's the only scenario I've ever seen get the best of him."

"Then that's what I'll do. Tomorrow." he insisted, standing up straight and grabbing the hilts of his swords firmly.

"Tomorrow..." Katil whispered under her breath.

"What's wrong?" Jet suddenly asked, standing directly in front of her. Katil's head snapped up.

"N-nothing,"

"You're lying," he insisted, taking her chin in his fingers and turning her face to his, "you've been...invaluable." He admitted. "I couldn't have done any of this without you," His smile was so genuine and so elated...it only broke Katil's heart more. "Was he your friend?" He asked gravely.

Katil chuckled sadly, "Would you hate me if I said yes?"

"Did you know he was a firebender?"

"...no," she lied, "and he wasn't just my friend," Jet's frown turned a little. deeper. Katil shook her head again, just baffled, "I think...I think I was in love with him."

"And then you found out what he was."

"...yeah," she said, her mouth speaking one version, jetunderstannding another, "but I tried to forget about it-I tried to make it work despite that..." she trailed.

"...and then?" he asked quietly, his voice low ad warm.

She showed him her palms. He took her hads in his and let his thumbs scate across the scarred skin. He grimmaced. "He hurt you...fire benders do nothing but hurt-"

"That's not true!"

Jet froze.

"I mean, he was good, for the most part-it was an accident." she insisted.

"Yeah, that's probably what he told you afterwards, right?" Katil just looked at her feet. Suddenly Jet wrapped her up in a tight hug. She was shocked for a moment, but then she felt oddly at peace, and she let herself ease into the embrace and hug him back. Her chest seized and suddenly she was crying...nearly sobbing. Jet held her tighter and gently hushed her, gently stroking her short hair, "It's okay," he whispered, resting his chin on her head. "We're gonna get him," he promised. "I'll beat him,"

Katil just burried herself deeper into his chest.

"I'll beat him,"

The next day, Katil was even more awash in her thoughts and worries than the last.

"I got it!" Katara yelled, running into the house. It was just an hour before midday, and so far the group hadn't done anything but try to figure out a way to see the Earth King about the war. "I know how to get to the Earth King!"

"How?" Aang asked eagerly, air bending himself onto his feet.

"The King is throwing a party for his pet bear! The place will be packed—we can sneak in through the crowd!"

Suddenly the house erupted in excited talk of society and manners and dress and the Earth King and the war and the Day of Black Sun which just made Katil remember that she was a fire bender and that got her stomach turning and suddenly she just felt…sick!

Katil jumped up and sprinted onto the back porch and retched over the side, vomiting up what little she had had for breakfast that morning and dry heaving everything she could have had.

"Katil!"

"Hey what's going o—?"

"Oh…let it out…" Katara whispered, holding back her hair as the others stood back in shocked horror, "Did you eat something funny?" She asked gently. Katil opened her mouth to answer then retched again. Katara rubbed her back, "Someone get her some water,"

Sokka hesitated for a moment, "Uh…uh yeah—yeah, I'm on it." He ran back into the house and came back with a glass. Katil, red faced and teary eyed, turned around and laid against the rail posts, breathing hard. She took a sip of water.

"I…I don't think I did…" she choked out, taking another sip.

"You must've just caught something yesterday,"

"That student did look kind of sick," Aang suggested.

Katil took another long gulp, "Yeah…that must've been it,"

Katara picked her up under the arm and lead her back to her bedroom, "We'll get into the party—you stay here and rest," she told her. Katil nodded as Katara laid her back down in bed, but kept the covers off her. "Let's see if I can…maybe…" she mused quietly, drawing a little water over her hands and resting them on Katil's slightly rounded belly. Katara frowned. The water around her hands began to glow bright. "That…doesn't seem to be a virus…or any kind of illness…I…I don't think I've ever—oh—oh Spirits…" she suddenly whispered.

Katil looked at her, worried. "What is it?" She asked.

"N-nothing…really," Katara assured her, "I'm probably wrong—it's probably nothing,"

"You ready to get the dresses?" Toph asked from the doorway.

"Uh—yeah, yeah I'll be right there." Katil started to get up but Katara pushed her back down, "No, you stay and sleep off this bug." She hastily put her hand on Katil's head and then jerked it away, "Wow! You're uh—burning up!" she said, shaking her limp hand. Katil furrowed her brows.

"I don't feel very cold—"

"You have a FEVER." Katara insisted, pushing Katil on her back and holding her there for a good second on two. Toph impatiently stomped her foot. "I'M COMING!" Katara yelled and then she looked back at Katil. "Stay," she ordered. Katil just scowled and rolled over, pulling the blanket over her head.

When Katil opened her eyes again the house was empty and it was starting to get dark. Meet me in the alley behind the bread cart at the eastern market place just after dark. Bring your swords. Those were the words Jet had shared with her just before taking off into the night, the thin wisp of hay he kept between his teeth sweeping her wet cheeks as he turned to go. Katil slowly pushed the blanket off of her body and crept on her feet, stretching. She peeked into the main room, but it there was no human life in sight among the gaudy furniture and decorations. Katil turned back into the room and slipped on her armor and swords. Without any trouble at all she slipped out of the house and made her way into the Lower Ring.

Just like the night before she had gone through the exact path to take a hundred times in her head, so it took no time to slip into the alley where jet was waiting for her.

"Hey," he whispered.

"Hey," she whispered back, the sun diving below the wall behind her head. It made Jet's face glow bright and his crooked smile gleam. He turned around and started making his way down the alley,

"The teashop where they work is right on the other side of this alleyway—they should be in peak business hours right now so there will be plenty of witness—"

"Jet—wait." Katil grabbed him arm and turned him around.

"What?"

"I…I don't want you to do this,"

"But this was your idea—!"

"I know, I know," she admitted, covering her face with her hand, "but…Jet, it's just too risky for two measly fire benders—"

"Two measly fire benders? Katil that guy broke your heart—he burned you!"

"Yeah, yeah…yes. That's right." She confessed, "…but that's not a reason for you to go to jail or prison or execution or whatever they'll do—" Suddenly Jet just grabbed her up and kissed her hard, then ripped her away. Katil was wide eyed and baffled, her whole body paralyzed and shaking at the same time. He almost seemed to be in the same state of total shock. "Jet…?"

He stared at the ground and slowly loosened his grip on her forearms. She could feel his hands shaking. His head snapped up and on his face was a terrible grin, "I'm going to beat him," he assured her. "I'll attack from this alley—you stay in the next one over."

"And do wh—?" But Jet had already taken off.

Katil, her lips throbbing, just stared after him as he melted into the alley shadows. "…jerk." She whispered under her breath. She ran back to the market place and up the road, then turned into the next alley and raced up its narrow passage. Just as Jet said, there was a ramshackle teashop across the street—and it was packed. Still, Katil had to wait for a few minutes before she saw Jet saunter out of the alley and into the teashop. Then, all was quiet. Katil clutched at her racing heart, waiting in agony…

"I'LL GIVE YOU A SHOW!"

"Zuko!" Katil whispered. Suddenly she could hear the sound of crashing furniture and screams and swords clashing and then Zuko came barreling out of the front door, chips of wood cascading all over the street. He landed hard on his back, but hopped up onto his feet just as Jet emerged, hook swords swinging. Their blades clashed and clashed and clashed. Jet hurnled Zuko to the ground, Zuko nearly took Jet's head off. Jet was yelling at him, "FIREBEND!" he would demand over and over again.

"Shit…" Katil whispered. She looked down. She had drawn her swords.

Again four swords came together with an awful clang. "THERE HE IS!" Katil whipped around. A horde of guards was charging up. She gripped the handle of her sword tightly. If she threw it, she could distract Zuko just long enough…just long enough for Jet to get the upper hand and force him to bend…Katil looked up at the scene in front of her. Jet was dripping sweat and breathing hard, but Zuko still seemed fresh and ready to go.

"Shit, shit, shit!" She cursed, reaching back, ready to send her sword flying, just as a pair of stone hand cuff latched themselves around Jet's wrists. "JET!" Katil screamed. Zuko's head snapped to her, and their eyes met.

"You don't understand," Jet begged as the tall men dressed in dark green robes dragged him away, "they're fire benders—"

Zuko took a dangerous step towards Katil.

"YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE ME!"

"Katil?" Zuko shouted, pushing through the thick crowd that had gathered. "Nn—move!" He demanded, throwing a man out of the way only to find the alley empty. "I could've sworn…" he mumbled under his breath, but even after a second look, there was nothing there. It was like she had just appeared out of nowhere, and then she was gone.

It was like Jet had just appeared out of nowhere, and then he was gone.


	7. This Day Always Comes

Katil was sick again the next morning, maybe more so than the last, but at least this time she was able to get away from the group. Breathing hard, she wiped her mouth and her eyes, pulling the bush she had retched behind back into it's place, and held her stomach lightly.

"Katil?" Toph called.

"Coming!" She replied, tucking a stack of Apa posters under her arm, grabbing her bucket of glue, and jogging back up the alleyway.

"This is the most energetic I've seen you in a while!" Toph exclaimed, her swimming grey eyes thrilled but suggestive.

"I guess I woke up on the right side of the bed this morning," Katil chuckled awkwardly, dipping her paintbrush into the glue and planting an Apa poster firmly on the stone wall.

"Right," Toph muttered, crossing her arms. Katil decided to try and pay her no mind. "C'mon, Katil," Toph prodded, trowing an elbow at her arm, "Some thing's up-I can tell," she reminded her, tapping her heel on the ground.

Katil frowned. Toph was right, of course-something was up-something potentially heart-stopping-ly thrilling, or something heart-stopping-ly crushing. So far, Katil had no evidence that would lean her towards either conclusion, and that only made the anxiety worse.

"Promise you won't tell?" Katil asked. Toph nodded. A little sadly, Katil dipped her brush back into the glue and stuck a few more posters to the same wall. "You remember how...after we destroyed the drill...I went into the city to get some food and a new dress?"

"Yeah...?"

"Well, I didn't have enough money for the dress AND the food, so I stole all of that leopard pork."

"THAT'S what's gettin' you?"

"No! No..." Katil waved off the notion like an annoying toad fly, "After I stole the meat, this guy approached me...his name was Jet. He was tall, and dark, and strong and-"

Toph plopped onto the dirt, cross-legged, with a condescending plop, "Eugh, here we go-"

"It wasn't like that." Katil grumbled, rolling a poster up tighter and tighter in her clammy hands.

"Well? Keep going," Toph insisted after an uncomfortable minute or so.

Katil sighed, walking a few paces and putting up her fortieth poster of the day, "He asked me to join his group and told me to meet him by a cobbler shop that night-I did." She added for good measure, "He wanted me to help him prove that two people he had been following were fire benders,"

"Were they?" Toph asked excitedly.

"...I don't know," Katil quickly spat out. Toph's face screwed up into a suspicious look, but she let it drop.

"So then what?"

"The plan didn't work. He was so disappointed and angry-I wanted to cheer him up-but my plan...I screwed up." She told her, sliding down the wall and hugging her knees to her chest.

"...what happened to him?" Toph asked almost gingerly. The change in character threw Katil for a slight loop.

"...he was arrested-or at least I thought he was. I went to check the prison yesterday for him but he wasn't there. But-get this-it wasn't the Earth King's guard that arrested him-it was the Dai Li! And after what you guys said about the Dai Li at the party-I think-"

"You think that if we find Apa, we'll find Jet." Toph surmised. Katil nodded. Toph jumped up on to her feet and, kicking her heel against the ground, popped Katil's butt right into the air. "You could be right." Toph admitted with another friendly punch to the arm. With a smile on their faces they started walking again, stopping intermittently to put up a few more posters. However, Toph's smile fell after just a few paces when something dawned on her, "Katil?" she asked.

"Yeah?"

"If it really was your fault that he got arrested...what's gonna happen when we find him? What are you gonna say?"

Katil stopped just before putting the poster on the wall, the beige glue drying up quicker than her optimism, "...I...I don't know,"

Katil and Toph's heads whipped to the right as they both suddenly heard yelling and the roaring of crashing water. "That can't be good." Toph muttered before they both took off at a sprint down the cobbled street and around the corner. Water was slowly oozing out of a thin alleyway papered with Apa signs, and Katara, chest heaving, her blue eyes burning, was standing at the mouth of it all. Katil and Toph stopped behind Katara just as Sokka and Aang arrived,

"Katara what's-" Sokka stopped as soon as he saw what-or rather, who-was frozen to the stone wall at the back of the alley.

"Jet's back," she growled. Toph and Katil wer frozen in their spots as the other three argued.

"Is that...your Jet?" Toph asked. Katil remained still, watching at Jet was unfrozen, was prodded and interrogated, was accused and cursed, and never once acknowledged her presence.

"...different guy," Katil whispered under her breath.

"I swear, I've changed!" Jet pleaded. His thick brown hair had been washed, his tan skin scrubbed clean-he looked the same, if not better, than he had when they arrested him. "I let my anger get out of control, but I don't even have the gang now! I've put all that behind me!" He insisted, brandishing the crumpled Apa poster in his fist.

"You're lying!" Katara spat, her brother the only thing holding her back from outright attacking the guy. Suddenly Katil registered the fact that Katara was...REALLY angry! Did they know Jet?

"He's not lying," Toph told her, her tiny fingers pressed to the wall that Katara had backed a slightly trembling Jet against.

Aang slowly walked towards Katara and put a gentle hand on her arm, "Katara, we don't have any leads." He explained softly, "If Jet says he can take us to Appa, we have to check it out."

She readied a response, but quickly came to agree with the Avatar, "Alright," she grumbled, "but we're not letting you out of our sight!" She threatened.

A smile erupted on Jet's face, "Thank you, Katara!" he exclaimed, but she gave him the cold shoulder and stalked off, Aang close behind. Jet hurried to the front of the group, "I heard about some kind of big animal being housed pretty close by-this way!" Excitedly he led the group west towards the wall, Katara and Aang right behind him, and Sokka, Toph and Katil picking up the slow moving rear. By now, Sokka had realized something was up, but it was almost impossible not to with the crushing look of disappointment hanging on Katil's usually bright features.

"Something wrong?" Sokka asked.

"...who is that guy?" Katil replied, her eyes glued to the back of Jet's head.

Sokka sighed, putting his hands into his pockets, "His name is Jet. We met him a few months back on our way to the North Pole."

"What's up between him and Katara?" Toph interjected. Katil's body twinged a little at the phrasing.

"...long story short," Sokka muttered, "Jet tried to wipe out an entire village just to kill a few Fire Nation soldiers-and he tricked Katara and Aang into helping him do it."

"...oh," Both women whispered heavily. They walked together, step for step, for a few more minutes. "...I think I'm going to go talk to him," Katil decided suddenly.

"Huh-?" But before Sokka could really question her, she was jogging to catch up with him. "Does...does she know him?" Sokka asked.

"Yeah," Toph answered as quietly as she could, "and we might have a problem,"

"What?" Sokka asked, startled.

"Sh!" Toph cautioned, grabbing him by the front of his shirt and dragging his face down to her level, "I don't know for sure and I don't even know if they're a threat-"

"You're talking about fire benders, aren't you?!" Sokka insisted, poking a long tan finger into Toph's flat chest. She swatted his hand away.

"YES! Spirits, be a little louder, please," She tossed him aside like a rag doll.

With a tiny scowl Sokka readjusted his shirt. "How do you know?" he started up again, this time lowering his voice.

"Katil said something about it-I think she knows who they are, too."

"So why don't we just ask her?"

"You think if they were a threat, she would tell us?"

"...you're asking me which side I think she's on." Sokka realized.

Slowly, Toph nodded. Sokka took a minute to think, but, impatiently, Toph insisted, "SO?"

"Hey, don't rush me, this is important!" Sokka whined. Toph tossed a pebble at his temple. "Ow..." he muttered, rubbing his head with the heel of his hand. Sighing, he hunched his shoulders, "You know, to be honest, I don't know which side she's on. I mean, even if she's not lying about all the stuff that happened to her as a kid, she could be just like Jet: a crazy, murdering psycho path who has no concern for any one's safety or well-being but their own. Or, she could be like Aang, who lost his whole race and still couldn't kill a horse fly if you asked him to." Toph agreed. "I guess we'll have to just wait and see?" He offered dumbly. Toph just punched him in the arm.

After another few paces she asked, "But...but what if there are dangerous people in the city-and what if she knows they're here, but is still hiding them? If we wait..."

"Yeah," Sokka agreed. He bit his lip and kicked his toe in the dirt. "...I'll talk to Aang." He muttered.

Solemnly, Toph nodded. "...I hope it's not true," she whispered.

"Me too," Sokka took her tiny hand and squeezed it lightly. She ripped it away and stuffed her hands into her armpits, pretending to retch. Sokka just laughed. She turned her head away from him defiantly with a tiny smile and and even fainter blush.

Meanwhile, Katil easily caught up to Jet and fell in with his steps with a nervous ease.

"Hey," Jet greeted casually, "you new to the group?"

Katil gaped for a second, "Uh...uh, yeah! Yeah, I'm new. My name's Katil,"

"Nice kodachi," Jet pointed out with a signature grin. He pulled one from it's sheath-

"Oh!" Katil tried to take it back but he was too quick. He gave the sword a thorough once over and then looked back at Katil suspiciously,

"Those are Fire Nation style engravings." he noted expertly, "Where did you get those?"

"...I stole them from a Fire Nation soldier." She quickly lied.

Jet gave her a bright grin of approval, and she blushed, smiling back.

"So..." she started.

"So?"

"Do I...look familiar to you?" She asked, putting her face right up to his. He semed a little taken aback.

"No...sorry," he answered, backing away from her a little uncomfortable, "should I?"

Katil jumped back, waving her hands, "No, no, no, no, no, no...just me being silly-as usual-that's me-the silly one!" She babbled.

Jet laughed, turning back to the road. Katil did the same, though her face quickly fell. "So, where are you from?" Jet asked. Katil looked at him and grinned.

They walked together at the head of the group, talking about practically nothing, until they came across a dusty, ramshackle barn.

"Here!" Jet called, waving everyone inside. The barn was spacious with a tall ceiling and a floor spanning what must have been two thousand square feet, but even though it was terribly drafty the air was thick with dust and dirt. Most of all though, the barn was horribly empty. "This is the place I heard about,"

"There's nothing here." Aang murmured, his shoulders falling.

"Wait-he WAS here!" Toph exclaimed, brandishing a thick wad of Appa's fur. Aang ran over and swiped it out of her hand. He grabbed the fur and held it to his chest,

"We missed him..." he whispered sadly.

"They took that big thing yesterday." Six heads whipped around to see a short, hunched old man come from a small door in the back of the barn. He bent over even further and started sweeping up the remainder of Appa's fur with a whistle, "Shipped him out to some island. About time, I've been cleaning up fur, and various, uh...leavings all day." He grumbled.

"What island? Where's Appa?" Aang demanded. The old man tossed his hands the air.

"Foreman said something about selling the thing to some rich type on Whale Tail Island. Probably for a zoo or sumthin',"

Aang spun around excitedly, "Then we've got to get to Whale Tail Island! ...where is that?"

Sokka pulled out his map, "Far," he said apologetically. Still, Aang kept up hope and soon every one was ready to go ship off for Whale Tail Island. But something was nagging at Katil-

"I'll come with you!" Jet offered.

No, she KNEW something was- "Really, REALLY wrong!" She suddenly yelled. Everyone stopped in their conversational tracks and stared at her. "Okay," she started, taking a deep breath, "this is going to sound weird, but I know this guy."

Jet furrowed his bushy brown brows, "Um, I don't think you do-"

"We've. Met." She asserted, shutting him up. "How in four days do you forget someone you kissed?" She demanded in an angry whisper, throwing a finger into his armoured chest.

"WHAT? I don't even remember your NAME!" He snapped back.

Katil's whisper turned into a shout. "I got you arrested!"

"That's ridiculous!"

"Then how do you explain how you DISAPPEARED?"

"Maybe you just didn't see me living PEACEFULLY IN THE CITY because WE HAVE NEVER MET!"

"Then how do I know about Smellerbee and Longshot? How I know that they're in the city!"

"I thought you said that you didn't have the 'gang' with you!" Katara accused.

"I don't!" Jet argued.

"You do!" Katil shouted right into his face.

"Who ARE you-?!"

Suddenly the two, red faced and steaming, were blown apart from each other by a blast of wind. Katil barely kept her footing and saw a fed up Aang standing spread armed between them.

"...they're both telling the truth." Toph murmured. "It doesn't make sense-it feels like they're both telling the truth!"

"That's impossible," Katara spat.

"No, it's not!" Sokka exclaimed as the two combatants slowly dusted themselves off. "Toph can't tell who's lying because they both THINK they're telling the truth."

And then it dawned on her, "...you've been brainwashed." Katil whispered, her stormy eyes drained of all frustration and anger and subsequently replaced with concern.

"No-that's crazy!" Jet slowly backed away from the group, his eyes full of fear. The group slowly closed in around him, "STAY AWAY FROM ME!" He yelled as Toph easily cuffed his hands and feet in stone and Sokka knocked him out with a decisive blow to the head with his club. Katil watched the exchange with silent diligence.

"The Dai Li arrested him a few days ago," she explained as Sokka hoisted Jet's limp body onto his shoulder. "If we can knock his senses back into him, he might actually be able to lead us to Appa,"

"But how do we do that?" Aang asked.

"You said Smellerbee and Longshot are in the city?" Sokka asked. Katil nodded. "I bet if we can find them, they can un-wash his brain."

"Yeah! They were his closest friends," Aang agreed.

"But how are we gonna find them?" Toph asked. "This city is huge!"

Suddenly, Katil had an idea. "I know where they live. C'mon!"

They followed her out of the barn and down the street, down a long, long flight of stairs (if any one asked, their unconscious friend was very sick, of course) and into the rough streets of the Lower Ring. It was crowded today, and they had to link arms a few times to stay together. As the sun was setting behind the outer wall, they reached the little alley where Katil had met Jet for the first time nearly a week ago.

Sokka paused, "So...he lives in an alley,"

Katil just rolled her eyes and pushed on, leading them through the tight, dusty path. The left wall of the alley made up the backside of an apartment building, and about fifty feet down the path they found a metal fire escape, ladder extended. They shimmied up the ladder and onto the first landing. One by one Katil hammered on the doors asking for one "Smellerbee" or "Longshot", but even after making it to the third floor they had had no luck.

"So..."

"Shut up, Sokka," Katil muttered.

"Just saying,"

"Aang?" Everyone looked up. Out of a small window on the fourth floor poked a rather large bowl cut and some terrifying war paint.

"Smellerbee!" He called back, jumping up onto their landing with ease. His smile fell quickly, and hers followed, her large, dewy eyes filling with concern.

"What's going on?" She asked, skipping right over the pleasantries.

"We found Jet-he's been brainwashed." Aang said solemnly as the rest of the group climbed up the the fourth landing. Smellerbee's eyes widened when she saw the unconscious Jet hung limply over Sokka's shoulder.

"We were hoping you could snap him out of it," said Sokka, readjusting his cargo.

"Get him inside," she ordered quietly, hurrying them all through the window. The apartment, much like Zuko and Iroh's, was cramped, musty, and rickety. There were three bed rolls strewn out on the floor along with a few open food containers, scraps, and tools. A tall, stringy boy with an oblong head that Katil assumed to be Longshot was sitting in the center of it all, diligently sharpening the points of a tightly wrapped bunch of shoddy arrows. He said nothing as they entered and set Jet in one of the dwelling's wooden chairs. "We need to figure out a way to trigger his memory," Katil reiterated gravely. Jet sat quietly, his eyes trained to the floor.

"Katara could kiss him," Sokka snickered. Katil's head whipped around.

"Maybe YOU could kiss him?" She shot back.

"Just an idea!" He said, throwing up his hands in a passive gesture.

"A bad one." Katil and Aang glanced at each other awkwardly.

"I've got it," Smellerbee said suddenly, "Jet, think about your past-remember what the Fire Nation did to your family!"

Jet bit his lip, but he closed his eyes and furrowed his brow. Katil took a sympathetic step back, holding her hands to her chest. Suddenly, Jet started shaking and sweating, his head swayed from side to side gaining speed until he was violently writhing-then, he screamed, "NO!" His eyes shot open and his chest heaved up and down as he fell over his knees, fist tangled in his hair. "I-I can't...it's too painful,"

"Jet..." Katil whispered quietly.

"Here, maybe this will help," Katara suggested, walking behind him and drawing a healthy globe of water from her pouch. She separated the water and pressed the two equal, now glowing halves to his temples. A heavy anticipation swept over the room as Jet's eyes fluttered closed for a moment.

"I...I remember...!" He said quietly, suddenly looking up at Katil. Her face burst into a grin. "I was taken by the Dai Li to a secret base underneath Lake Laogai-Appa is there."

"Well what are we waiting for?!" Aang nearly shouted, opening his glider with a determined snap.

"Nightfall," Jet interrupted him, "There are two shifts of agents-one during the day and one at night-patroling the base. We'll make our move during the switch."

After a moment's hesitation, Aang nodded.

"I'll put on some tea," Smellerbee said quietly, staring out at the near setting sun before making her way towards the kitchen. The other members of the group as followed her lead, busying themselves with one task or another, but Jet had his face buried in his hands, and Katil was just watching him. Slowly and nervously she walked over, and when she was about two steps away his eyes came up to meet hers. She looked down at her feet.

"Let's go for a walk," Jet suggested solemnly, standing up and heading towards the door. Katil watched, motionless, as Longshot, having been posted at the door frame for some time now, put a hand on Jet's shoulder. "We'll meet you at the wall in half an hour." Longshot nodded. Jet opened the door for Katil, who dutifully stepped out, and followed her into the hall, closing the door quickly behind him.

Jet grabbed Katil and pushed her up against the opposite wall, giving her a rough and passionate kiss that she responded to almost immediately, wrapping her arms around his neck and forcing her tongue into his hot mouth. "I wasmm-so worried-I'm-mmaahso sorry, Jet-mmmfff!"

He kissed her deeper and moved across her face and down her neck, biting and kissing with low, animal like groans. Katil could feel her chest clinch around her speeding heart and only grow tighter as their lips parted and they held each other in a tight embrace. Foreheads pressed together, they slowly opened their eyes, and Katil felt only the slightest twinge of guilt.

"I..." Jet began, chest heaving, "I forgot you-"

"You forgot everything."

"Yes, but-"

"They brainwashed you-there was nothing you could do." Katil assured him, holding his cheek with her scarred palm. He kissed her again, but softly, this time, holding her tightly and tasting her breath. When he pulled away, he stared at her for nearly a minute, stroking her dark hair.

"I told you I would beat him-"

"Jet-"

"I told you I would beat him, and I acted like an idiot. I forgot to fight-I thought I could just...trash talk him into doing what I wanted..."

Katil settled her face into his chest, closing her eyes.

"...I'll find him-"

"No you won't." Katil's wet glare bore through his determination.

"Katil..."

"You'll help us find Appa, and that's it. You'll stay here and we'll convince the Earth King and we'll beat the Fire Lord and then we'll all go home wherever that is but you're not going after Zuko again!"

Jet's face twitched, "Zuko...? As in...?" Katil looked away quickly. "As in Prince Zuko? Why were you with Prince Zuko?!" Katil grimaced. "Katil..." he turned her face towards his, "...I've known you for three days, and...I think I might be in love with you,"

"Don't say that-"

"But it's true. Do you feel the same way?!" He asked desperately, holding her face in his hands.

"Jet, no...I won't...I can't get hurt again...I can't..."

"Do you?!"

She stared straight into his dark brown eyes, and suddenly she saw Zuko, declaring his love, making love to her, burning her...her heart ached, tears ran down her face, and she remembered just how time had stopped when Jet kissed her that night, how she could barely stay standing her knees knocked so hard, how she was still shaking, even now, from the warm shock of his lips...

"I...I think I might be, too," she answered quietly. He pressed his lips to hers, squeezing her tight.

"What aren't you telling me?" He asked her gently.

"Jet..." she took a deep breath, "I'm a firebender."

He frowned slightly.

"I'm a firebender and I ran away from the Fire Nation and spent years killing Fire Nation soldiers and joined up with the disgraced Fire Nation Prince to find the Avatar and teach him how to firebend and somehow during all of that I found you and-"

"I see,"

"Jet, please-"

"Hey, you guys ready to...oh-am I interrupting something?"

Jet let go of Katil, "No."

"Well, you guys ready to go?" Sokka asked.

"Yeah," Jet replied coldly.

"Okay...then I'll go get everyone else...?" Sokka replied carefully, giving Katil a concerned look and then slipping back into the apartment, closing the door quietly behind him.

The two were silent...painfully so...

"...the Avatar knows what you are?" Jet suddenly asked, leaning against the wall, arms folded.

"Yes!" Katil answered quickly. Jet smiled.

"Well, if the Avatar trusts you, then I guess I do, too,"

Katil's face broke into a huge smile and she ran right into his arms, "Oh thank you...thank you..."

"Just promise me this," Jet said suddenly.

"Anything!"

"Never bend again,"

Katil looked up-

"LET'S GO!" Aang yelled, bursting through the door of the apartment on his air scooter, company in tow. Jet grinned, taking Katil by the hand and dragging her after them. They ran all the way to the outer wall, through which Toph bore a small tunnel. They crawled through quickly and, under Jet's direction, made their way to Lake Laogai.

The sun was setting when they reached the beach.

"So where's the secret headquarters?" Sokka asked.

"Under the water, I think," Jet answered.

Toph, a few yards down the bank, called, "There's a tunnel right there by the shore!" With a quick form an earthen walkway rose out of the water-at its end: a round, covered tunnel. Toph kicked away the rock blocking the entrance.

"This is it..." Katil whispered under her breath as one by one they all filed in.

"It's all starting to come back to me!" Jet exclaimed, leading them through the dark, empty tunnels. He was right-there was little to no security in the headquarters. Still, Katil had an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. "I think there might be a cell big enough to hold Appa just up ahead...I think it's through here!" Jet threw open a metal door-

"Now that's different." Sokka muttered.

Flanked by at least twenty men, a thin, pallid man with beady golden eyes stood before them in a stone room, arms folded behind his back. His black hair was styled in a tight queue, and he wore high class, ceremonial Earth Kingdom clothes. His thin lips turned up into a sick smirk. "You have made yourselves enemies of the state."

Katil froze.

"Arrest them." The Dai Li agents struck forward-Katil drew her kodachi, sliced through two gloves, before she was vaulted into the air. She rolled, kicked off of the ceiling and shot back down into the fray, breaking a glove just before striking Sokka, breaking another coming at her back-

"Long Feng is escaping!" Aang yelled, giving chase to the leader. Jet took off behind him. Katil switched feet and ran. She was nearly through the other door when a stone glove caught her collar and yanked her backwards off of her feet. She reached back, crushing the glove, but it was too late. Just as she was clambering back onto her feet, a Dai Li agent sealed the entrance to the next room.

"JET! AANG!" She screamed, throwing her self at the door. Just then two gloves sealed her to the wall by her arms and were crushed in an instant by Toph.

"DON'T WORRY ABOUT THEM!" She yelled, slamming two Dai Li agents into the walls with pillars of earth, "THEY CAN HANDLE THEMSELVES!"

Katil nodded, and charged the nearest agent, slide tackling him and breaking his neck with her elbow before he could lift a glove. Within what felt like minutes they took out the remaining agents, most laying unconscious, a few laying dead.

Toph punched where the door used to be and the wall crumbled-

"JET! NO!" Katil screamed, shoving her way into the room and falling by Jet's motionless side. His eyes were open, he was breathing, but his head...his head was bleeding...

Katara walked over and drew some water. She held it over his chest, "This isn't good..." she muttered gravely.

"You guys go and find Appa. We'll take care of Jet." Smellerbee assured, she and Longshot stepping to his side.

Katara stood up. "We're not going to leave you."

"There's no time." Longshot interjected, "Just go. We'll take care of him."

Katara didn't move.

"He's our leader." He stated firmly. Katara looked down at Jet one more time, who smiled meekly at her,

"Don't worry, Katara. I'll be fine." He assured her. She nodded sadly as Sokka put his arm around her.

"Katil?" Sokka asked. Katil hadn't moved, but she was shaking. Tears were running down her face, but she wasn't crying. "Katil, are you coming?"

"J-Jet..."

"Go." Longshot repeated. Sokka nodded, and they were gone.

"I l-love you, J-Jet...I l-love y-you..."

_This day always comes._

* * *

**A/N: Thank you all so much for reading all of the way through to the end. If you liked it, be sure to read the sequel, _The Woman in the Brig_!**


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